Victim's Eyes
by potterfanxp123
Summary: When your family is torn asunder, how do you cope? JJ seeks the answers to this question after tragedy almost destroys her family.
1. Prologue: Mistakes I Have Made

Victim's Eyes: A Criminal Minds Fanfiction

By: William F. (potterfanxp123)

**DISCLAIMER**: The established characters, settings and ideas of "Criminal Minds" are owned and licensed by **CBS Television Studios**, **ABC Studios** and **the Mark Gordon Company**. The plot, as far as the author knows, is of his own design. Any resemblances to persons in real life are mere coincidence, which should not be taken literally, and are mere fabrications of an overactive imagination.

**DISCLAIMER 2: **None of the quotes in this Fanfiction, unless otherwise stated, belongs to the author. They are assortments that seem to fit with the general mood of the individual chapter.

**DISCLAIMER 3:** The cover image is not mine. I'm in no way artistically inclined, so I have borrowed the image from mustbekiding on deviantArt (with permission).

**RATING**: This is a "Criminal Minds" Fanfiction. That means that, at the very least, there are going to be descriptions of blood and gore. Alone, that places this as a solid "M" rating. If you are too young to read this, or are easily offended, the author urges you to reconsider your choice in story.

**SETTING:** This will be an Alternate Universe (AU) Fanfiction set in the six months after the events of Adrian Bale. That means that Jason Gideon is still in the BAU, Elle does not yet exist to the team, and that the team will be grieving the loss of six members.

**SHIPS:** JJ/Reid, Aaron/Haley

A/N: The perspective of the first few chapters is from JJ's point of view. This is by design. The POV will begin changing once the team begins to take on cases.

_"I believe in everything until it's disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it's in your mind. Who's to say that dreams and nightmares aren't as real as the here and now? – John Lennon"_

**PROLOGUE**: _Mistakes I Have Made_

"_Do not brood over your past mistakes and failures as this will only fill your mind with grief, regret and depression. Do not repeat them in the future. - Silvananda"_

The case started out as any other, JJ would later reflect. It was, upon further reflection, a strange and uncontrollable set of circumstances.

Yet, in the three days since Adrian Bale had converted from mass bomber to mass murderer, her world, as well as that of her BAU family, had been torn asunder.

She couldn't pinpoint the instant that things had changed in their world. When the reality of going after the bad guys went from something, they were proud to do, to something they feared.

As far as she could tell, it all started the second she presented the case to her teammates.

She hated herself, JJ knew. She hadn't eaten since they'd returned from the plane, too distraught to give any care to her well-being. All she could think about, all she dreamt about were the rest of her teammates dying in a flash of fire, and a concussion wave that would have torn them apart in seconds.

Moreover, she'd sent them into that.

She bent over her toilet for the second time that morning, emptying the coffee she'd just swallowed into the white basin.

Recognizing that eating would be impossible, she dressed and walked out of her house, her head spinning from the sudden lack of energy that passed over her. She knew she looked a mess, her hair was probably in tangles, her eyes were more than likely sunken with the lack of proper sleep she'd had, and her face was, if her feelings were any indication, sallow and pale.

She probably looked like a vampire, she thought on some level, instinctively raising her eyes too look at the sun, wondering if it were going to make her spontaneously combust.

She didn't know how she avoided wrecking on her way into the office this morning. She knew that her reflexes were off, and that she was in no condition to drive anywhere, so maybe coming into work this morning wasn't such a good idea.

She clocked in two minutes late, her feet staggering as she approached the doors that had once held such comfort. Upon arrival, she noticed Hotch in the middle of the conference room. He wasn't giving a profile, she noticed, but his expression was just as firm as anything she'd seen.

When she approached the door, she noticed that Hotch had set his gaze upon her. It softened almost immediately, she realized.

"JJ," the man said, "Come in. As I was announcing to the rest of the team," she winced as she heard his voice break, "the Director has given us the next three weeks off, in order to get our heads together. He has asked that we finish out the day, but that we are grounded until things settle down. In addition, as some of you have probably guessed, Jason has asked me to take over as Unit Chief, temporarily. I have accepted. He has requested reassignment to the academy, for the foreseeable future."

She winced again.

"So, once we leave today, you all have the next three weeks off."

A second passed, and she could see the cogs in their team leader's head turning as he struggled to get his words together.

"I know that our team has been hit with a tragedy, and I know that thoughts are running through your heads of resigning, or asking for reassignment. Take the next few weeks, and decide if the BAU is still where you want to be. I hope to see you here when our vacation is over, but I hope you know that I won't hold it against you, should you decide to as for reassignment. We've lost some good people, colleagues and friends that we can never replace."

She wiped her right eye, almost cursing the tear that was threatening to escape.

The rest of her day was filled with the usual duties. She fielded a dozen calls from various law enforcement officers, created case files for the other BAU teams, something that her job required whenever she or the team were going on vacation, since the cases needed taken care of even if she weren't there.

When it was time to clock out, she packed up her desk, wanting to take as much of her things in case she decided not to come back.

She was on her way to the elevator, when it happened. Her lack of anything edible, lack of sleep, and lack of energy caught up with her, and she passed out.

"_Every man casts a shadow; not his body only, but his imperfectly mingled spirit. This is his grief. Let him turn which way he will, it falls opposite to the sun; short at noon, long at eve. Did you never see it? - Henry David Thoreau,"_

_End Prologue_


	2. Chapter One:  Dreams

_CHAPTER ONE: Dreams_

"_All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible. - T. E. Lawrence"_

The steady rhythm of a monitor woke her; JJ noticed almost immediately, the sterile smell, and almost artificial air, telling her where she was long before she opened her eyes. She opened them slowly.

"Spencer," she whispered her throat dry from the nasal cannula pushing oxygen into her lungs.

"H-h-hello JJ." He said almost immediately, relief evident in his voice. "You gave us quite a scare."

"Where am I?"

"You're in Mary Washington Hospital, JJ. You passed out leaving yesterday. Hotch, Morgan, Garcia or I have been here since you arrived. I… I'll let them know you're awake."

She nodded, wondering why they cared whether she was alive, or not. She'd gotten her teammates, friends, killed the second she gave them the Boston case. Why didn't they hate her?

She was brought back to the moment by someone clearing his or her throat.

"H-hey Hotch," she said her throat scratchy. Spencer handed her a glass of water as soon as he'd entered, taking the chair she'd just noticed at her side.

"JJ," the man said, pulling a doctor's stool over and sitting on it. "What happened?"

"I," she paused, glancing at Morgan and Garcia, who were almost studying her silently.

"I haven't slept more than an hour since we returned from Boston, and I haven't eaten anything in at least the same amount of time. Every time I close my eyes," she shuddered.

Hotch didn't say anything, just nodded. "I know I haven't slept more than eight hour since we got back. Haley is almost constantly trying to get me to go to bed. The dreams never go away, JJ. I wish I could say they do, but I can tell you that you will get to a point where they don't hurt as much.

Now, the doctors have asked me to tell you that you're electrolytes are dangerously low and that they are going to keep you overnight for observation. If you'd like, I can stay with you."

"No," she whispered, "go home to Haley, Hotch, I'll be fine."

The man nodded, and she could see the relief in his eyes. She wanted to feel angry with him, but knew that Haley was his anchor. "Really guys, thank you for staying, but go home. I'll be fine," she said, trying to smile.

Morgan came forward, giving her a tight hug and said, "If you need anything, JJ, you get on that phone and call me. I mean it."

Garcia gave her an even tighter hug and said, "and if not him, me, angelface. My chocolate god and I will be out celebrating life when you get out, if you want to come and join us."

She smiled, wishing her friends adieu.

"Spencer," she said, turning to the last of her visitors, giving him the okay to leave if he wanted to as well. He pulled the chair closer to the bed, and took her right hand in his left one.

"If it isn't too much trouble, JJ, I think I'd rather stay here with you. I mean, I know you don't like hospitals, what person does really, but…" he stopped.

"I'd like that, Spencer," she said sadly.

"Do you… would you like to talk about it?"

She shook her head. If anything, she wanted to avoid talking about Boston.

They talked for hours, Spencer telling her details of the various Ph.D.s he had, how long it had taken him to get each one and why he'd chosen those particular fields.

She listened; glad to have a comforting presence beside her. In return, she told him about her parents, and her brother, and about their house in North Versailles, Pennsylvania. She told him about the scholarship she'd received for Soccer, and how she'd led Penn State to a national championship.

He told her that he'd been recruited to the BAU by Jason Gideon. He was sixteen, sitting on the front row of a psychology class he'd taken for one of his Bachelor's Degree, and the man had been intrigued enough to approach him after class, asking him what grade he was in that the high school would allow him to attend a lecture at a university.

She'd laughed, for the first time in days, and told him that she'd been in a similar class, listening instead to David Rossi lecture. It was then she decided on a major, and applied to the FBI academy.

Finally, when the announcement came indicating that visiting hours were over, she watched as the good Doctor visibly slumped.

"JJ," he said as he stood, collecting his things, "I'll be back first thing in the morning. If you are released tomorrow, I'd like permission to spend time with you outside of hospital hours, if you are agreeable?"

She nodded, mentally converting her friend's speech, and said, "I'd like that too, Spencer.

"_Dream and give yourself permission to envision a You that you choose to be. - Joy Page"_

_End Chapter_


	3. Chapter Two: Echoes

_CHAPTER TWO: Echoes_

"_How cruelly sweet are the echoes that start, When memory plays an old tune on the heart. – Eliza Cook"_

When she woke the next morning, it took a moment for her to realize where she was. She caught sight of a clock on the far wall, and noticed that it was seventeen minutes after six in the morning. She was surprised, not expecting to feel this well after one night of uninterrupted sleep. She was still tired, but she knew that she would be able to make it through her day.

Her nurse came in a few minutes later, being as quiet as possible, as she closed the door.

"I'm awake," she said, causing the young nurse to jump slightly, before the woman turned toward her, a smile on her face. JJ noticed the stress lines on the woman's face, and could easily tell that her shift was about over.

"It's good to see you're awake, Miss Jareau," the woman said slightly mispronouncing her name. "Did you sleep well?"

JJ nodded, her eyes searching the room around her.

"My name is Angelica, and I'll be your on-duty nurse until nine this morning. We had to move you too a private room last night, there was a large crash, and all the local hospitals were requested to take in patients. You are on the third floor. You have also had a young man calling on you, who asked that we notify you that he has arrived."

"Spencer Reid," she asked. The woman nodded and said, "he claims to be a Doctor, but no one believes him. We think he's just trying to impress us nurses."

"He's not that kind of doctor," JJ agreed slightly, "but I doubt he was trying to impress anyone. It's alright if he comes up?"

Angelica nodded, confusion showing on her face as she said, "Doctor Bonneville has ordered a full panel of blood tests. We have a phlebotomist arriving on shift in an hour. We will have breakfast brought to you in about thirty minutes; Doctor Bonneville thinks you can start back on solids now that your electrolytes are improving."

JJ nodded and thanked Angelica as a unique knock sounded at the door. She smiled.

"Come in Spencer," she said. He opened the door, not even asking how she'd known it was he.

"Good morning JJ," he said upon entering, handing her a cup of coffee. Angelica almost protested, but JJ had already taken a large gulp before any protests could be had.

"Did you get this from the coffee house across from my apartment, Spencer?"

He nodded and said, "Yeah, I remember you mentioning that you had a standing order from your coffee house, and when I arrived and told him you were in the hospital, he handed me the cup and this donut for you."

She knew she wouldn't get away with eating the donut, so told him he could eat it. Spencer shrugged, and took a bit.

She could see his eyes widen, and knew that he'd probably become a frequent customer of Mr. Manchelli, considering his love of coffee-flavored sugar.

"Thank you Spencer," she said. "And thank you again for staying with me, even though you could be going home for the next few weeks."

Spencer smiled at her, one that he often reserved for local law enforcement when he was about to make a point.

"You are my best friend," he said, "at least I like to think so, so of course I'd stay with you, JJ. I know that Morgan would have stayed, but last night was their weekly movie night, and we know Garcia's rule on that."

She nodded a small smile on her face.

"I do have a question though," Spencer, asked, his face contorting into that look he got whenever something puzzling happened to him.

"Shoot," she said.

"Why were those nurses giggling at me whenever I introduced myself?"

She laughed.

"Did you happen to specify what type of Doctor you were," JJ said, watching Angelica, who had started checking her blood pressure and pulse as she looked at her friend.

"What does that have to do with anything," Spencer questioned.

"Spence," she said, not noticing as she unintentionally shortened his name, "you're a profiler, so profile them."

He closed his eyes. She knew that he was replaying the conversation over in his head.

"They thought I was a medical doctor," he asked incredulously. She laughed.

"This is a hospital, Spence," she said between gasps for air. "Let me guess, they called you Doogie?"

He nodded.

"What kind of Doctor are you," Angelica finally questioned. Spencer turned to her and said, "I have PhDs in Engineering, Chemistry and Mathematics, as well as Bachelors in Psychology and Sociology."

She watched Angelica's face pale, before turning a deep maroon. Spencer smiled and said, "Doctor Spencer Reid, PhD."

"I'll make sure the others know, Doctor Reid," Angelica said almost immediately, before saying, "I'll be back in when the phlebotomist arrives to do the blood work. Kelly will be the nurse bringing in your breakfast. Doctor Reid, have you eaten yet?"

Spencer looked at her and said, "I have, thank you, and please call me Spencer."

When Angelica left, she turned and said, "How did you sleep last night?"

Spencer sighed, and said, "Not as well as you did, I believe. You look almost completely refreshed."

She nodded and said, "I think they gave me knock-out gas, or something."

"It's possible they gave you a low-dose Ambien, a sleep-aid," Spencer said shrugging, "I'd have to look at your chart to be sure."

She shook her head and indicated that she wanted him to sit. He did so, taking the chair he'd inhabited the day before. "I brought you some things from your house. I followed Morgan over when he dropped your car off yesterday, so when you do get out of here, you won't have to go back to the BAU."

She nodded. "They're in the car, I wasn't sure it was appropriate to bring your clothes in when you may not be leaving today. If not, they'll stay in my car until the doctor releases you. Also, I took the liberty of taking down your messages on your answering machine, so I could tell you what you've missed."

She knew that he meant verbatim, and nodded.

"Your mom called you yesterday, she sounded worried about something. It was after you left for work, but before you passed out."

"Can I hear the message," she asked. Spencer closed his eyes and said, "JJ, darling, it's your mom. I woke up feeling as if something was wrong, so call me when you get this message. You know how I am."

She nodded and said, "(412) 555-8160."

Spencer nodded and said, "Any message you would like me to deliver?"

"Just tell her that I'm alright, but that I passed out at work, and that I'll call her the second I get out, alright?"

He nodded. "Also, your brother called. He wanted you to know that Melissa is pregnant again."

She gasped and said, "Melissa is Jeffrey's wife."

He smiled and said, "congratulations to your family, JJ."

She smiled again.

"A Father Winston also called."

She nodded and said, "What did he have to say?"

"Jennifer, your mom called and told me what has happened to your work-family the past couple of days. If you'd like to come by and talk with me, my door is always open. I leave you with this verse of scripture, _Philippians 3:13-14: Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ_."

"Thank you Spence," she said. He nodded saying, "You didn't have anymore messages when I was there, but I can go back and check later; if you'd like."

"Not unless I'm kept overnight again," she said, "just call my mom and let her know that I got her message, please."

He nodded again, and as the phlebotomist came in, excused himself to make JJ's requested calls.

She smiled, ignoring the phlebotomist's blush as she stared at the young genius. When the woman turned back to her, JJ smiled and said, "Let me guess, you were one of those nurses that didn't believe he was a doctor?"

The woman blushed again, her skin turning a pure garnet, as she said, "Just how smart is he?"

JJ laughed. The nurse, who introduced herself as Denise, said, "If you'll hold out your arm, I'll begin drawing your blood, Ms. Jareau." JJ noticed that the young woman pronounced her name correctly, and wondered if she had taken French as a second language.

"You should only feel a pinch as I pierce your skin," Denise said as she placed a pair of gloves on her hand and opened an alcohol wipe. She continued, "Hopefully, all goes well, and we will have your results back in a few hours. Do you have a preference as to which arm we use, Ms. Jareau?"

"No, either is good," JJ said. The young nurse smiled, and pushed a table to her side which had a sponge block on top. JJ placed her arm on the sponge and turned it so that her elbow was facing down.

"Just relax your arm," Denise said calmly, tapping her vein to force it to protrude. Once that was done, Denise quickly inserted the hypodermic needle, holding her fingers to the point of entry, and placed a vial on the opened surface. She watched in fascination as her blood flowed into the open vial, before it was taken away and a second vial placed into the small aperture.

"Good," Denise said, "one more should do it, Ms. Jareau," she said happily.

When she finished a few seconds later, she pulled the needle from the vein, and placed the used cotton-ball wipe over the wound with a brief, "Hold it there," while she placed doctor's tape over, cutting off blood flow.

"Thank you," Denise said as she packed her tray, and said, "And I hope you start feeling better soon. I'll tell your young man to come back in, shall I?"

JJ almost protested, but realized that Spencer Reid had integrated himself in her life to the point that they were becoming inseparable. She smiled, nodded and said, "Please?"

When he entered a minute later, he was just hanging up the phone.

"Your mom gave me strict instructions to have you call the second you sign your release forms, and told me to give you a message, verbatim."

JJ groaned, but nodded. "When you get released, if you aren't here in six hours, young lady, I will send your dad to collect you."

She winced. "Crap, you didn't tell her that I haven't been eating, did you?"

Spencer looked at her, incredulously and said, "You think I want to get in trouble, JJ? Are you crazy, of course I didn't!"

She smiled at his affronted, almost scared look.

"How far are your parents from here, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Don't you know the home addresses of all of us, Spence?"

He nodded, "yeah, but I don't make it a habit of checking maps, or the internet to see how far away a place is, unless it directly involves a case."

She smiled at him, sheepishly admitting that he hadn't ever pushed for information from them, and apologized.

Hours passed, as she talked to the young genius. They never seemed to run out of things to talk about, none pertaining to their work or anything even seemingly approaching Adrian Bale and the horrifying events in Boston. JJ was thankful that her friend was there, keeping his eye on her, and giving up his vacation time to keep her company.

When the doctor arrived about six thirty that night, however, she knew he wasn't going to release her. Spencer listened to him, emphatically committing every word and gesture to memory, as the man explained to her that her electrolytes were just short of the point he would like them, and that she would be released first thing in the morning. She nodded. When the announcement came over the intercom that visiting hours were over, her friend told her that, in no certain terms, he would be back in the morning to pick her up. She smiled, caught his hand and said, "thank you, Spence."

It didn't take long to fall asleep, the anticipation of leaving a high motivator.

"_What would it profit thee to be the first Of echoes, tho thy tongue should live forever, A thing that answers, but hath not a thought As lasting but as senseless as a stone. – Frederick Tennyson". _

_End Chapter_


	4. Chapter Three: Ghosts

_CHAPTER THREE: Ghosts_

"_If dreams are like movies, then memories are films about ghosts. – Adam Duritz"_

JJ woke suddenly; her heart racing and stomach churning, as Angelica came in to check on her. She was sitting up in bed, drenched in sweat as the last few minutes of her dream, nightmare, came to her.

She saw herself in a graveyard, staring at the tombstones of her fallen friends, their penetrating gazes blaming her, enticing her to end her own, unworthy life. She could feel the heat of the explosion on her face, as she had all those days ago, and hear the explosion as it occurred. Only this time, Spencer was with Jill, Mark, Andrew, Sarah, Abraham and Monica, and she was the one left behind.

"Are you alright Ms. Jareau?" Angelica asked, again slightly mispronouncing her name. JJ coughed. When her head rose, Angelica handed her a cardboard cup of water, and a pill she said was for nausea. JJ took both gratefully, answering her with a "yes, thank you. It was just a nightmare."

"It sounded like more than a nightmare," her nurse said silently. "Do you want to talk about it?"

JJ shook her head, a sudden rage filling her when she snapped out "no."

Angelica nodded, a sudden understanding filling her eyes. "Alright, I won't push you; but promise you'll call me if you need anything, all right? Should I be expecting your young doctor in the morning?"

She nodded a small smile on her face. She didn't bother correcting the implication in the young nurses' voice, instead choosing to embrace it.

"Well," Angelica said, "I'd rather not give you a sleep aid, if we can at all help it. Do you think you'll have a problem getting back to sleep?"

JJ shook her head, already feeling the exhaustion retaking her, as she fought to keep her eyes open. Angelica smiled exited the room.

The next time she awoke, it was too a smiling Doctor Reid looking down at her, a recognizable black duffle bag at his side.

"Good morning JJ," he said the second he noticed her eyes open. She gripped his hand, which was holding hers, and said, "Good morning, Spence. Thank you."

He smiled at her, and said, "Doctor Bonneville was by earlier, and said that your discharge papers are at the front desk. I tried to explain to him that I was just a colleague, but he seemed to be in a hurry, so I'll apologize on his behalf for breaking your confidentiality. Angelica also was by earlier, and asked me to tell you that she hopes she sees you under better circumstances."

JJ nodded and gestured for her ready bag, which Spence handed to her. "I had Garcia pack you a few things; I didn't feel it was appropriate to go through your undergarments. She assures me that the clothes are to your liking, and not hers."

JJ thanked him; something she seemed to be doing a lot of lately, took the bag and walked into the adjoining bathroom. After a scalding shower, which was made possible by the bar of soap and shampoo she kept in her ready bag, she dressed. Garcia, she admitted, had a great eye for detail. She wore a beige skirt and aquamarine top, one of her favorite combinations, she noticed happily. When she exited the bathroom, she felt loads better than she had before.

Spencer was sitting in the bedside chair he'd made his over the last couple of days, and stood upon her exiting the bathroom. She blushed prettily and said, "Shall we Doctor Reid?"

He smiled again. She noticed, to her amusement, that he hadn't blushed as much over the last couple of days, apparently coming to accept that she was a part of his life as he was a part of hers. He opened the door, and gestured for her to go through. She smiled at him again, and left the room, standing to the side waiting as he exited beside her.

The nurse's desk was visible from the room, slightly down the hall and to the left. When she approached, she noticed the group of nurses was giving her companion wanton looks, which she was amused to note he either ignored or missed completely. The doctor on duty stood at their approach and said, "Agent Jareau?"

The nurses gave her a confused look, and she smiled realizing that she'd never identified herself as an FBI agent.

"Yes, I'm here to sign my discharge papers."

The doctor nodded and said, "You'll need to make sure you eat properly, your body is just coming into balance and the slightest deviation could set you back. You'll want high-protein meals for the next couple of days, and then you should be able to move back to your regular diet."

She nodded, and signed the papers in front of her. The paperwork signed, she was officially released.

Spencer helped her too the elevators, her legs like jelly after days of hibernation. She felt her heart racing, her palms becoming sweaty and her breathing shallow, and wondered briefly if Spencer could feel the effect he was having on her from the slightest touch.

They made it to the elevator, and Spencer pressed the "G," and she felt the elevator kicking to life. A few seconds later, and it came to a stop, and Spencer led her out, into a large, sun-filled parking lot.

JJ took a deep breath, enjoying actual air for the first time in days. She looked around, looking for Spencer's beat-up four-door Honda Accord.

"Not to nag, but where's your car?"

He smiled and led her too the far-end of the parking lot, where she noticed, not his Honda, but her Ford Thunderbird. She smiled.

"I hope you don't mind, I got the keys from Morgan yesterday afternoon. I thought it would be a good surprise for you. Do you feel up to driving?"

She wanted to say "yes," for the simple fact that it was her car, but a sudden dizzy spell struck her. "No," she sadly said.

He didn't respond. Spencer simply led her to the passenger side, opened her door and helped her to sit down into her seat. She sighed, taking in the familiar scent of her air freshener hanging above the dashboard. "Thank you, Spence," she said softly. "Do you have my phone?"

He smiled and said, "It's in your glove compartment."

She nodded and opened said aperture, grabbed her phone and said, "Just give me a few minutes to make this call, it's hard to hear the phone over the engine."

He nodded again.

"_Hello," the sound of Jessica Jareau's voice came over her phone. She smiled instinctively; glad to hear her mom's voice after the past few days she's had._

"Hey mom," she said, "I was just released. We're about to leave the parking lot now."

"_Jennifer," her mom vibrantly said, "I was so worried about you. Your young man didn't leave me much information, just that you'd passed out at work, and were in the hospital. What happened?"_

She blushed, hoping that Spencer hadn't heard her mom's innocent comment, thoughshe saw the slight blush on his face.

"I asked him to just give you the information we knew of. It wasn't anything serious,just lack of sleep, and appetite, combined with running myself ragged."

_Her mom's silence spoke volumes._

"_How long until you arrive?" her mom asked._

"I can't drive, mom, for at least a couple of days."

"I didn't ask how you were getting here, young lady. Have that young man of yours bring you, tell him to pack for at least a week, but I expect you here so I can take care of you."

She winced, recognizing the tone of her mom's voice, and looked at Spence, who was studiously ignoring the conversation, instead filling out one of the crossword puzzles she had in a book above the steering wheel.

"Hold on, I'll see if he has any plans," JJ said. She turned to him, and noticed that he'd placed the book face down and turned to give her his undivided attention.

"Mom wants to know if you'll drive me there, you're invited to stay."

She watched him studying her, trying to determine whether she would be against it or not, and gave a simple nod. She was relieved, not only would mom not overreact, but also maybe she could pull her genius best friend out of his slump.

"We'll be there in a few hours, mom. We need to go to our apartments and pack."

"You're not living together," her mom, questioned, and she turned giving Spencer a look as he choked on spittle.

"No, he's my best friend, but we're not dating."

She saw him smile, and couldn't help the elated feeling that overcame her.

"Alright dear, I'll tell your dad that you're incoming, and we'll have your room and the guest room made up for your young man."

"Alright mom," she said, "I'll see you soon, bye."

With that, she closed the phone and turned to him.

"Sorry Spence," she said apologizing, "I hope this isn't cutting into your plans."

"Not at all," he said immediately, "I'm not heading home myself until next week; I wanted to make sure you were settled in before I left. If…" he said looking at her, "If you'd like to join me, JJ, you'd be more than welcome."

She nodded, almost immediately, wondering where the young genius called home. The engine sounded a second later, the purr sending a thrill down her spine, as her friend drove them first to his apartment, where he gathered a large duffle bag of clothes, and was back within minutes, then too hers.

She wasn't surprised to know that he knew directions to her house; he knew where all of the team lived, how to get there from both directions and where they kept their extra keys, in case he ever needed to stay the night.

She turned too him and said, "I'll need a bit longer to get ready, if you'd like to come in."

He nodded.

When they entered, JJ was surprised to see that her house was a lot cleaner than when she left it. She turned to him, but saw him raise his hands in a surrendering manner.

"Garcia," she asked. He nodded.

"I'll have to thank her," JJ commented absentmindedly. She quickly packed her ready bag, grabbed her cell phone and keys off the counter and made sure her alarm was active before she turned towards the door.

"Shall we, Spence?" she asked him absently, her hand rubbing his arm as she smiled. She felt his arm twitch in a way that showed her that he wasn't used to physical touch, and made sure to remember that fact. Her friend nodded and said, "Do you want to try driving?"

"No," she said, "I'll try it later, but right now I'm sure I'd just be a hazard to other drivers."

Spencer nodded and said, "If you're sure, JJ."

"I am," she assured him. "And thank you Spence. I really appreciate you spending all of this time with me."

"It's no trouble at all, JJ," he assured her after a few seconds of contemplation. "I've enjoyed the past couple of days more than I have most of the last three years, too be honest. I really feel like we've become really good friends, and I hope that this trend continues on into the future."

JJ smiled at him, and said, "I do too, Spence."

They headed north out of Quantico, beginning the two weeklong trips that would go farther to ensure their lasting friendship than anything could ever hope to approach.

"_If a man harbors any sort of fear, it percolates through his thinking, damages his personality, makes him landlord to a ghost. – Lloyd C. Douglas"_


	5. Chapter Four: Life

_CHAPTER FOUR: Life_

"_My dear sir, it haunted me for the rest of my life. – Peter O'Toole"_

**Special Quote:** "_We are all like Scheherazade's husband, in that we all want to know what happens next. __E.M. Forster_"

JJ was exhausted by the time they arrived too her parents house in North Versailles, Pennsylvania; the five-hour drive had taken its toll on her physically and literally. She yawned as Spencer made the last turn into the disheveled driveway to the two-story brick structure she had called home for years on end.

"JJ," the friendly young genius said gaining her attention, a bashful look upon his face.

"Yes Spence?" she asked. She noticed that he had paled, and his hands were shaking. Unceremoniously, she held the palm of her hand to his forehead, and breathed slowly when she noticed that he didn't have a fever. "What's wrong?"

"Can you explain the protocol for this situation, please? It's been my unequivocal experience that most social situations dictate certain parameters be met when engaging in social niceties, however I must unabashedly admit I am far outside of my comfort zone."

She eyed him for a moment, mentally converting her friend's question. It was something she'd noticed about the young genius. Whenever he was nervous, he tended to stammer wildly, and return to the personality of the Special Agent he had been when she first started with the Behavioral Analysis Unit.

"It's simple, Spence," she said placing her hand on his arm, rubbing lightly too calm her friend, "You come in and shake my dad's hand, making sure to introduce yourself as Doctor Spencer Reid. It will immediately give my dad the correct impression, that you're a man of learning and respect. Then you introduce yourself to my mom, indicating that they can both call you Spencer, or Reid, whichever you prefer.

After that, you're a profiler, so I guess you just pick up their cues."

Spencer nodded, and she watched him take a deep breath and opened his door. She unclipped her seatbelt, and started to open the door, when it jerked open, and Spencer smiled shakily at her.

They approached the house, and she said, "Whatever you do, Spence, be honest. My dad likes to intimidate any man I bring home, to get a feel for them, I guess."

"He's a typical alpha male," Spencer said, indicating that it was a question. She nodded, "If my understanding of the term is what you use in our cases, yes. He's a typical alpha male."

She looked at her friend, who was fidgeting uncomfortably the closer too the door they moved. "It is going to be alright, Spence. My dad might take a little longer to warm up too you, but you helped me while I was in the hospital, so you're starting off on a good standing."

He nodded, and took a deep breath again, and she rang the doorbell. The door opened with a swift motion, and she smiled when her mom's arms wrapped around her almost instantaneously.

"Jennifer, you're home," her mom said. JJ smiled, leaning into the hug as her dad walked up to the open door. She could almost feel Spence tense beside her, but held in her surprise when he reached his arm forward, and said, "Hello sir, I'm D-doctor Spencer Reid. I work with JJ at the FBI."

Her dad took her friend's hand, and she could almost feel the palpable tension in the room. For almost five seconds she watched her dad eye her friend, and could almost envision the genius crumbling under her dad's gaze.

Then, to her relief, her dad released Spencer's hand and said, "I'm James Jareau, welcome to our home. This is my wife, Jessica. I understand you stayed with our daughter when she was in the hospital, and kept us in contact with her. I'd like to thank you for your dedication to her."

She smiled, glad that her dad was trying to come across as a friend instead of the overprotective ex-cop he really is. Then, she watched her friend as he took her mom's hand and said, "thank you both for welcoming me into your home. You may call me Spencer, if you'd like. And, it was nothing sir, JJ is my best friend."

She smiled again, happily acknowledging that the conversation was going a lot better than it would have even a year ago.

"So," her mom said as she released his hand, and pulled him into a hug. She saw Spencer's shoulders tense almost immediately, and almost winced when her mom pulled back and shot her an obvious look before asking, "What kind of Doctor are you, Spencer? You seem too young to have a medical degree."

Spencer Reid, who could stare down UNSUB's the like of Adrian Bale without flinching, blushed to the roots of his hair. JJ couldn't believe what she was seeing, but was glad that she was able to see him at his level best.

"I have three PhD's in Engineering, Mathematics and Chemistry, and two BA's in Psychology and Sociology. I've been working with the Behavioral Analysis Unit since I was twenty-one, just over two years now. I'll be twenty-four on October ninth."

"Multiple degrees," her mom asked, astonished. Her dad, who had been watching the entire time, sighed and said, "let the poor boy get settled in, Jess, I'm pretty sure they're both exhausted. Spencer, if you like reading, we have a library that you can use while you're here. Jenny will show you where it is later, all right. Jenny," her dad said, "why don't you head to the living room, and sit down while your friend and I grab your bags. Lunch will be at our regular time," he said before turning too Spencer and said, "That's one in the afternoon. We try to eat meals together around here."

Spencer nodded, committing the time to memory. JJ looked at her dad and said, "Okay dad. Spence, I'll show you to the library, only if you promise not to read all of the books in there while we're here."

As the two males stepped out, she couldn't help but worry about what her dad had planned. She turned to her mom, who was looking at her in apparent amusement and said, "What?"

"Don't take that tone with me, young lady. It isn't like you to let anyone to drive your car, even when you're exhausted. Just what does that young man mean to you?"

"He's my best friend," JJ said adamantly, "And I trust him with my life, mom. As a part of our job, we see things that would give you and dad nightmares. On a daily basis, we have to seep through the worst of humanity. Moreover, at the end of the day, we can go home, and forget about it.

But," she paused. "But that doesn't really answer your question. He means a lot to me. When I was first assigned to the BAU, the media liaison position had just been created, and our Unit Chief, Jason Gideon, did not appreciate being told that the team would be required to take an extra person on every assignment.

It only became worse when Gideon introduced me to the rest of the team. I thought I was going to be ostracized from the beginning. However …this quirky, innocent genius walks into the room, takes one look at me, and says, '_You must be Jennifer. I'm Spence… Doctor Spencer Reid and it's very good to meet you. I look forward to working with you._' He was stuttering the entire time.

Like a sieve, the rest of the team accepted me. Later that day, our friend Derek told me that Spencer was so socially awkward that it wasn't my presence on the team they protested, but what effect the presence of an unknown would have on him. Spencer knew this, he later admitted to me," she said smiling, "but also knew the team better than many would like to admit and decided to mitigate their reactions by curbing his own.

Ever since then," JJ said, "Spence has always had my back; even going so far as to teach me the basics of profiling so I'm not just an outsider, but a true member of the team."

"We're more than just a team, JJ," Spence said. She jumped, turning a glare on her mom who was suppressing a laugh of amusement, "We're a family, all of us. And you're my best friend too."

She smiled at him, and motioned for him to sit beside her.

"So Spencer," her mom asked her friend, a cheeky grin on her face, "What does my daughter mean to you?"

"You don't have to answer that, Spence," JJ told him immediately, seeing the uncomfortable look on his face. She cursed under her breath, for forgetting to mention that her family was very close.

"It's okay JJ," he said, "to be totally and completely honest, ma'am, to adequately describe my feelings for your daughter; she's my best friend. Before I met JJ," he said before pausing again to gather his thoughts. Her heart froze in her chest, and her breath caught in her throat, as she waited to listen to him, "I was awkward at best. I never integrated with the team, since our teammates…" here she heard his voice hitch and tears came to her eyes, as they remembered their fallen comrades, "Since most of our teammates came from backgrounds similar to yours, sir."

Her dad nodded, studying them with steady eyes.

"Meeting JJ was like a burst of fragrance. She swept in, and immediately had everyone wrapped around her finger with her grace and style. It was impossible to segregate her, even if I hadn't stepped in, Derek admitted to me that he was about too."

Her heart clinched. Derek had never told her that.

"I found myself longing to see her, though the days haunted me, they were worth all the heartache and pain because JJ holds me together."

She couldn't help it, JJ would later reflect. Her arms came up, and wrapped around the taller agent, as she leaned into his neck and said, "thank you, Spence."

Spencer froze, and she was about to move back, feeling immediately guilty for invading his personal space, but slowly they came up and wrapped around her.

"That's why I came when JJ invited me, and why I've asked her to join me when I go home next week. The last two weeks have been hectic, and I can honestly say that as much as I didn't want to be alone, I despised the thought of leaving JJ alone even more. Our family is broken," she tensed around him, and could feel him clench her even tighter, "but we'll only break if we're apart. Together, we can mend. It will take time, and it will take a lot of work, but we'll be stronger for it."

She wanted to hate him, just then, for bringing it all back to her, but felt secure in his arms. She wanted to rage at him for using the serenity of her embrace as a dam, but felt the selfsame serenity overcome her.

When he released her, JJ felt immediately alone. She felt like they were tethered, now, intricately formed together.

Her mom replaced him almost immediately, and the first of many tears fell. The dam she'd placed around her heart had broken.

No one noticed as Spencer left the room.

An hour later, her tears subsided, JJ looked around for her friend, and companion for the next two weeks, noticing almost immediately that he wasn't in the room. She frowned, wondering where he'd going too in the last however long he'd been gone. She looked at her mom, who shrugged and her dad, who shook his head and said, "He just told me that he didn't want to intrude on what he thought was going to be a family situation."

She nodded and pulled her phone, dialing his number almost immediately. "Hey JJ," Spence said hurriedly, "I'm sure you're wondering where I am. I had a look around the ground level of your home; it's wonderful by the way. I've about finished lunch, if you'll check your watch you'll find that it is coming upon thirteen hundred hours."

"You're cooking," JJ, asked incredulously, "Can you cook, Spence?"

She heard him scoff, and laughed when he said, "it's just like Chemistry, follow the directions and you can make anything. Actually, I did take a home economics course at Caltech, my counselor wanted to make sure I was self-sufficient since I was fourteen." Spencer said, over the phone as she walked into the kitchen.

Her mom came in behind her, and gasped at the mess around them.

"Did I forget to mention that for all his degrees, my best friend is a klutz?"

Her dad's bellows echoed around them, as Spence reached into the oven, where he pulled out something wrapped in tin foil. She could smell the garlic on it from here, and almost salivated.

"Oh," he turned at her voice, almost dropping the food in his hand before he set it off to the side, "don't worry about the mess, Mrs. Jareau, I'll make sure everything is put back into its proper place."

"Don't bother arguing mom," JJ said, "He really will."

Her mom nodded saying, "Thank you for doing this, Spencer."

"It was my pleasure," he said happily, "It isn't often I can cook for people. I'm sorry for the mess; I am a bit of a klutz."

Mom, JJ noticed, was giving him the benefit of the doubt.

"So, how's Jeff and Mel," JJ asked a few minutes later as they were sitting at the table. Her mom and dad were at their usual places, her dad at the head of the table, and her mom sitting opposite him. She was sitting in her normal spot, to the left of dad and right of mom, with Spence sitting beside her, to her right.

"Melissa is pregnant, and Jeffrey is running ragged making sure everything is ready for the baby. They've already redecorated the study of their house into a baby's room, and painted it white, instead of the sea green it was before. When they find out the sex, they're going to repaint the room and bring us over to see."

JJ smiled, "How far along is she?"

"Eleven weeks," her dad said happily.

"Your daughter-in-law should find out the gender of her child within the next two weeks," Spencer said. "The minimum is usually around week thirteen, but it all depends on the position of the fetus in the womb."

Her parents looked at him, confusion on their faces. JJ laughed, and said, "Its fine, he does that all the time."

"Sorry," the young genius said embarrassed.

Lunch was a happy affair, save for a few miscues that JJ was already used too from her friend, but that her parents didn't understand. Afterwards, she shooed her parents from the dining room, and the duo cleaned the kitchen. As promised, she noted amusedly, Spencer had everything back the way he found it, exactly.

After lunch, she gave Spencer a tour of her childhood home, telling him stories of her childhood as she came upon every room. He'd seen most of the downstairs already, though she explained the history each room contained when she passed them.

"This room is always locked," she said as she came to the last downstairs room. "It was my sister's room, Spence, and my parents and I really don't like talking about it. I'm telling you so you'll know to avoid mentioning it too them, okay?"

He nodded, somberly. She was thankful that he didn't press her to explain why the room was locked, though he probably had a good idea.

Then, they moved to the staircase, and she said, "Upstairs contains my room, and the guest bedroom, where you'll be sleeping. It also contains," she said stopping at the first door they came too. She pushed the door open, and she could feel her friend's glee as he ran forward, and into the room. "The library," she finished unnecessarily.

"JJ, your library has all of David Rossi's books in here; I didn't even realize he'd written more than _Deviance: the Secret Desires of Sadistic Serial Killers_."

She groaned, and said, "Dad also had all of Jason's written works, and I'm sure somewhere in here are Max Ryan's books. Just remember, you can't read them all while you're here."

"JJ, there are almost a thousand books here, I'd need at least a month to get through them all."

She sighed, and said, "Spence, I'm hoping that we'll be back here eventually, so please try to limit how many books you read from the library here. If you're that interested, there's an antique bookstore in town that we can hit tomorrow, alright?"

Spencer nodded, and she smiled again, happier than she'd been since Boston.

He grabbed four books and said, "I'll read these today, and get four more tomorrow, okay? That way, I'll only read twenty-eight while we're here."

She sighed and said, "Alright, but before that I want to show you around town tomorrow okay. We're both too exhausted to do anything like that today. Anyway, grab what you want to read from here, and I'll show you too your room. There is a bathroom up here, too, that we'll share while mom and dad use the master bathroom downstairs."

Spencer nodded again, grabbing the Rossi books he hadn't read; _Frenzy: America's Worst Spree Killers_ and _Eyes of a Predator_, along with Gideon's newly released book, _Sadism: the Worst of Humanity_ that she noticed almost immediately.

"Spence, we're supposed to get away from work for our vacation."

"I know," he said absently. She grumbled, watching as his hand sped down the page, almost like a computer scanner. She wished, for a moment that she could read and retain like her friend.

A few minutes later, he closed the book he was reading, and said, "Alright, I'll read the others later. Thanks for showing me this, JJ."

She smiled, and held her hand to him. He took it awkwardly, and she smiled and said, "Alright, as I said this is your room while you're here."

She pushed the door open, noticing that his ready bag was sitting on the center of the bed. "You can use the chest of drawers, and closet to unpack if you want. I'm right across the hall if you want to talk, too. I'll," she paused, "I'll leave you go get unpacked."

He nodded and turned to leave the room, when he whispered, "Thank you for letting me in, JJ."

She smiled and said, "Ditto."

When she moved to her own room, she wasn't surprised to see that it had gone through a change while she'd been gone. Her walls were no longer the violet they were when she was younger, now they were a solid white. The posters she'd left behind as a girl were all gone, and the minor holes she'd left were patched. The bed was new too, no longer was it the old twin she'd slept in since she'd gotten her 'big girl bed' at six, but a soft, new queen.

Her old desk was still there, polished and organized, with one of her old diaries sitting in the center. She smiled, and took a deep breath.

It still smelled the same.

An old, historic smell had guided her through her childhood.

She opened her closet, and gasped.

It was gone. She moved frantically, almost jumping out of her skin when she noticed the old, loose board that she'd used to hide things in her childhood was gone. Near anxiety, she went over to the desk and pulled the drawer open, hoping that it was in here.

She sighed, pulling out the warn envelope, and smiled as she felt the weight of the gift her dad had given her on her graduation from college.

The envelope, she noted, was opened.

"JJ," her mom's familiar handwriting met her as she pulled out the second letter, "I didn't read very far into the letter inside and I made sure that your dad didn't see it. I did notice that the Silver Eagle he passed onto you when you graduated was in there, and I just wanted to tell you that I'm proud of you."

She smiled again, not stopping the tear that slipped from her eye as she folded the letter again. She stood, and opened her ready bag, slipping the letter and diary inside.

Then, she fell onto the bed, her eyes closed seconds later.

When she woke, it was dark outside. For a second, fear overwhelmed her before she remembered where she was, the smell bringing her senses to life.

She could hear music coming from across the hall, an unknown, soul-piercing tune echoing from the speakers. It spoke too her on a level she'd never before known, the elegant violin rippling through her.

She got out of bed as quietly as she could; listening to the symphonic orchestra that almost told her a story. She crept across the hall, and knocked quietly on the door, hoping that Spence was up.

He came to the door almost instantly, a soft smile playing across his face. It was a look of contentment, utter contentment, which she'd never seen before on the almost constantly nervous genius.

"Hey JJ," he said turning the music down. "Did the music wake you?"

"No," she told him, "I think I was waking up anyways, I just heard it when I did. What is it?"

"It's a ballad called _Scheherazade_. It's the story of a young woman, a vizier's daughter named Scheherazade, and a Sultan who has forsworn love after being betrayed by his first Sultana. He swore after her betrayal that he'd never again live two days married to the same woman. For a thousand days, he killed each new Virgin bride on her wedding night, and married anew the next day.

Then one day, the Vizier's daughter Scheherazade, volunteers to marry the Sultan. Only, she has a plan. On the night of her wedding, Scheherazade begs the Sultan to allow her to say goodbye to her sister, Dinazade. The Sultan agrees, thinking he's granting her a last request. Upon arrival, her sister begs Scheherazade to tell her a story. Scheherazade, who had grown up educated had read so many stories and could recite them by heart, does so. The story she told was so gripping, the Sultan, whom they had ignored, was eagerly awaiting the ending.

Only, Scheherazade stopped the story at sunrise, saying that such stories are for nighttime. The Sultan, in an attempt to finish the tale, allows her to live so that the next night he'd get to hear the rest.

The second night, when she finishes the story, Scheherazade starts a second story, and the next day, the Sultan puts off her death for one more night.

A thousand and one nights," Spencer said, taking a breath, "a thousand and one nights she did this, until finally the stories were over, she had none left. By this time, though, the Sultan was thoroughly in love with her, and reneged on his eternal vengeance."

JJ sat on his bed, leaning against him, as she said, "He fell in love with her?"

"Yes," Spencer said, "it's ironic, though. He foreswore love, and ended up falling for this woman because she captured his attention."

"That's amazing," JJ, agreed, "It's kind of sad, though, isn't it. I mean, we catch these kinds of people every day, but this music makes it sound so romantic."

"I think the difference," Spencer said to her, "is that this is fictional. It's meant to inspire the belief that love conquers all."

JJ nodded and said, "Thank you for sharing this with me, Spence."

"My pleasure, JJ," he said to her softly, his hand running down her back as he said, "I usually listen to this while I'm going to sleep. It helps keep my mind clear, and it's so melodic that it's hard to not listen."

She nodded.

Neither of them noticed as they drifted off to sleep to the sounds of Korsakov's _Scheherazade_.

"_Music is moonlight in the gloomy night of life. - Jean Paul"_

_End Chapter_


	6. Chapter Five: Security

_CHAPTER FIVE: Security_

_"When kindness has left people, even for only a few moments, we become afraid of them as if their reason had left them. When it has left a place where we have always found it, it is like a shipwreck; we drop from security into something malevolent and bottomless." – Willa Cather_

JJ awoke that morning, serene in the feel of the arms around her. Her mind was open, and she could smell a familiar scent surrounding her. A beautiful melody filled the room, bewitching her mind, and ensnaring her senses. Her sleep-laden mind told her she knew the melody.

She stretched, causing a gasp to erupt from her bedmate, as her rear pressed firmly against his morning arousal. She froze, wondering for the briefest of seconds with whom she was sharing her bed.

Then, the crescendo of the melody; a beautiful violin sound that seemed to stir emotion in her heart, hit and she remembered.

"_Scheherazade_," JJ mumbled. She heard a moan from behind her, as her unintentional bedmate pressed his arousal ever closer, his arms tightening as he gave a deep sigh. She could feel every inch of his body pressed against her, sometime in the night they'd shifted, their body's contorting to the other.

"Spence," she said softly. It was enough. She could hear the moment he awoke, the squeak from his overly embarrassed voice causing her too regret ever waking him.

"J-J-JJ, I'm s-s-so sorry." He stuttered, jerking back almost immediately. She didn't turn to him; she could feel the blush that erupted on her face almost immediately the second their bodies separated.

"Sorry for what, Spence, this is your room. We fell asleep talking, nothing to be sorry about. How many times have we fell asleep in each other's hotel rooms on cases?"

He again squeaked, and she could tell that he was attempting to hide his arousal as she turned in his arms to look at him. His body shifted away from her. She couldn't help the thrill that went down her back knowing how she affected the young genius. It was a boon to any woman's self-esteem.

"Good morning Spence," she said looking him in the eyes. She could feel her blush returning, and knew that she should have regretted waking him with the knowledge that she'd slept in his arms, as socially awkward as he was, she sometimes doubted that he wasn't a virgin.

"G-g-good morning, J-JJ," he said almost awkwardly. "D-did you s-sleep well?"

She nodded, truthfully it was the best night's sleep she'd gotten since Boston, and she didn't want Spencer to close up on her, she didn't want him to regret helping her find the serenity of a good night's sleep, even if it was unintentional.

"I slept wonderfully, Spence. Truthfully, I'm more or less to blame for our current situation than you. I came into your room, not the other way around. So, if anyone should be sorry, it's me alright?"

Spencer nodded, his face still flushed.

"And while I do somewhat regret that we slept together last night," she said looking into his eyes, "it isn't for the reasons you think. I don't find you physically repulsive, and you're intellectually my superior, so you're not lacking in those areas. We're already friends, so it isn't as if we slept with perfect strangers. My biggest regret is that I could have potentially hurt you this morning, in any way, since I know you're not as socially sound as any of the rest of our team. As long as you're not mad, and I'm not, what's to regret?"

She felt him relax, and almost smiled, until a knock came at the door. Her eyes widened, and she remembered exactly where they were. "Oh shit."

"Jennifer," her mom's voice came from behind the door, "I know you're in there, young lady. You might as well answer me."

"Mom," her voice croaked in embarrassment. "Yes I'm in here, and no, it's not what you think. We were talking last night and fell asleep."

She heard her mom's tongue clucking in amusement, but felt her friend tense beside her… again. She stood, and turned to him, before looking down and blushing to the root of her hair. Her shirt had rode up during the night, and her bra had shifted, evidence that Spencer's hands had roamed her body in their sleep. She straightened her bra, gave him a smile, which he returned, and turned to the door.

"Good morning dear," her mom said happily, "your father and I wanted to know if you and your young man were going to join us for breakfast?"

She turned to Spence, who gave her a short, nervous nod, and said, "We'll be down in a few minutes."

Her mom nodded again and turned away, moving back towards the staircase. "Jeffrey and Melissa will be coming by later this afternoon too see you, dear."

"Thanks mom," JJ said, before turning to her friend and saying, "I'll head across the room to get ready, then we'll head into town, alright Spence? I'd like to show you around my roots while we're here.

Spence nodded to her, and saying, "I'll see you in a few minutes, JJ."

"Alright," she said leaving the room and moving into her own. She blushed as soon as she was safely ensconced in the privacy of her room, letting loose a giggle she'd held since realizing that she'd awoken in Spencer Reid's arms. If the young genius hadn't been so afraid of hurting her this morning, she admitted to herself, the morning itself would have been as close to perfect as she'd ever known.

She showered and dressed quickly, wanting to stave off any insinuations that would make Spence retreat into his mind. She sighed at the bottom of the stairs, listening to his familiar laughter as it entreated her closer to the door.

She paused, a second later, as another; more familiar, voice said, "How long have you and my sister worked together? You seem to know her better than a lot of her old boyfriends ever did."

"We've worked together three hundred and seventy-one days, six hours, fifteen minutes, seventeen seconds," Spence answered her brother. She cursed, knowing that he was nervous if he were being that literal in his answers.

"Good morning everyone," JJ said pushing the door open. Her eyes shot to Spence, where she apologized with a look. He nodded his head in acknowledgement, and turned to her brother, who was looking at her with a speculative air about him.

"Morning Jenny," her dad said, "Spencer here has been entertaining us with tales about your teammates. This Penelope sounds entertaining, if half of what Spencer is saying is true."

"Morgan," she asked him. Spencer nodded, a grin on his face. She returned it easily, knowing what her friend had told her family about the constantly flirting duo.

"I was telling them about the day before we left forBoston, and how Garcia had him near apoplectic with laughter."

She nodded, her eyes tearing as she remembered. "JJ, would you like me to tell you about the morning that they met; Garcia's first day?"

JJ didn't hesitate, pulling the open chair at his side out and filling the plate before her with the breakfast her mother had made.

"Well, I guess it begins about nine months before you started at the BAU. We were gathered together, and Jason announced the previous technical analyst, Simon Dreads, was retiring. The team wasn't shocked; Simon had been saying as long as I'd known him that he was going to retire as soon as he was eligible. The morning after his retirement party, Hotch calls us together and says he's found Simon's replacement and that the man had handpicked her to replace him because she was and I quote, "the quickest damned hacker I've ever seen."

You can probably imagine the hysteria that arrived a few minutes later, JJ, but for the benefit of the others, I don't think I've ever seen Garcia wear less than five colors as long as I've known her. When she came in, she had a blue and pink shirt, over which was a white jacket, and a primary colored skirt. Her eyes seemed to scan the room, and then her eyes met his. He was different than you know now, JJ. When I started, I don't think I ever saw Derek smile, and he always looked down upon me, because of my age and the fact that the FBI had fast-tracked me to the BAU instead of earning the position as he had.

She took one look at him, walked over and said, 'Hello Mortal, I'm the Goddess Penelope Garcia. You will soon bow to me in worship, and I will grant you eternal and everlasting joy.' Morgan looked at her like she was crazy, but a second later, burst out laughing. Within weeks, he was apologizing for every little thing he'd done or said to me.

The Morgan you know now is so much different than the one I met, and I thank Garcia everyday for coming into our lives and pulling the real him out of the rough exterior that he'd accumulated over the years."

JJ tried to imagine a Derek Morgan that looked down upon the young genius, one who stooped to the levels that other Agents not in the BAU did whenever Spencer Reid entered the room. She'd seen him alienated on more than one occasion by other agents that considered him a child even though he was intellectually far ahead of any and all of them.

Knowing Derek as she did now, she shuddered, because as much of a good friend Derek was now, she knew that he still had times when he picked on the young genius, in jest, and just knew that it would have been a thousand times worse on Spence if Penelope had never come into their lives.

By they time they finished breakfast, Jeffrey had left with a promise to come back before she left and an invitation to come by his and Melissa's house. She pulled Spence out of his seat and, with a wave to her parents; she told them that she was going to show him around town. Her parents gave them a farewell, and as they were leaving, she heard her mom say, "What do you think of young Doctor Reid?"

She made a note to ask her mom what her dad's response was when she returned home. She walked to the driver's side, glad that Spence didn't make a fuss about her preference to this morning. They drove for about five minutes, in which silence filled the suddenly awkward space between them, until they arrived tooNorth Versaillesproper. She smiled, looking at the old architecture. She showed Spence some of her old hangouts, such as Lea's Floral Shop, where she first worked from sixteen until she left for college at nineteen, and the Karate studio, where she first started taking the martial arts that would later help to shape her career.

She showed him her old high school, East Alleghany High, where she starred as the Captain of the Varsity team. They walked the soccer field, where she told him stories of her team's highlights, like the time they won the state championship… Go Wildcats!

As she was talking, she never noticed her companion moving closer too her, even when his arm came around her shoulder, and she leaned her head on him, her hand clasping his.

"And this," she said finally coming too the doors of the school itself, "is where my road to the BAU began."

She pressed against the door, thankful that it was a Saturday. The doors opened smoothly, and at once she felt her the memories overwhelm her. She showed him all that she could remember.

They walked the empty halls, the only sound the soles of their shoes hitting the concrete floors; the echoes sounding off around them.

"You're not supposed to be in here," a voice said startling them out of their walk. JJ stopped, turning and said, "Conductor!"

"That's Sheriff Conductor, Ginger," the police officer in front of them said. JJ felt Spence's shoulder tense underneath her, and sighed, "John, this is my colleague, Doctor Spencer Reid. Spence, this is Sheriff John Williams. We graduated high school together, I was Valedictorian, he was Salutatorian. Spencer works with me at the FBI, John. I was showing him around, I remember the school used to always be open on Saturdays."

"That used to be, Ginger," the Sheriff, "but the city council passed a law a couple years back that stopped all that, what with all the school shootings that have been happening round the country."

JJ nodded, "we'll be on our way, then." She said. John nodded, "I'm technically supposed to issue you a citation but I won't tell if you don't, alright?"

She nodded, and said, "Alright, can we still walk the grounds, or…" she trailed off.

"No, that's fine itself, just the buildings are off limits, except the gymnasium. That's open all hours, it's technically supposed to be for practices but everyone around town uses it. Come on, I'll walk you two out."

They followed the sheriff out, and JJ sighed before saying, "Well, Spence, how about we find somewhere to eat?"

"Sure JJ," he said, "my treat."

"Well," John said, "it's good to see you JJ. It's nice to meet you, Doctor Reid. I hope that I'll never need to see either of you in an official capacity around here. JJ, bring your friend around for the football game Thursday night, it's againstPenn Hills."

"We'll be there," JJ said vehemently, turning to her friend. "Penn Hillsis the school's largest rival. We're constantly competing to be the best against them. Have you ever been to a football game, Spence?"

He shook his head. She wished she were surprised. "Well, it'll be fun, and I can teach you all about the sport, alright?"

He nodded again, and she smiled, clenching his arm as they walked back too her car. They got lunch at the local McDonald's, which she told Spence was the ultimate comfort food. She watched him roll his eyes and say, "I've eaten at McDonald's before, JJ. It's not something I do often, but I do enjoy occasional fast food."

She smiled; glad her friend was coming out of his shell. When the food was eaten, she said, "How about we head back to the house, and see if we can find something to occupy our time?"

Spence nodded. JJ was glad that the awkward silence between them had lifted.

When they arrived back at her parent's house, JJ noticed that they again met at the front of the car, and moved together. She wasn't shocked, or disgusted, at the thought. In fact, she wondered where this sudden attraction between them was headed.

When the entered the house, she went into the living room, where her parents sat watching the afternoon news. Her mom sat at her dad's side, her head resting on his shoulder, much as she had walked with the man at her side earlier.

She smiled at her mom, who had looked their way when the entered the living room, and sat on the loveseat. When she was little, JJ remembered asking her mom why it was called that. Her mom said that it was a very good question, but that she couldn't give her an adequate answer, on that she would understand when she was older.

While she wasn't ready to say she was in love with the young genius Doctor Reid, she definitely understood the allure of sitting curled up to him on said seat.

"Good afternoon you too," her dad said a few seconds later, "I see you're quite cozy. Is there something I need to know about, Jenny? How about how your mother found you two this morning?"

She felt horrified, shocked that her dad would bring that up. She felt her shoulder tense, and could feel that Spence was unsettled. She looked at her dad, who had a fiendish looking grin etched on his face. He looked at her and said, "Now, Jenny, I understand you're a grown woman, but I'm sure you don't want me to have a certain talk with your young man, do you?"

"DAD!" she screeched. "That's totally inappropriate! We fell asleep listening to a song that Spence ended up telling me about. It was totally unplanned, and…" she could see her mom holding in laughter.

"Oh," her dad asked looking at her, "and what is the name of this song that had you so interested?"

"_Scheherazade_," Spence spoke up, looking at her dad. Her dad looked at him in confusion, and Spence told them the same story he told her last night.

By the end, her mom was sniffling, and she knew that she was going to go look up the song, and get the full story on the internet.

"Alright," her dad said after a minute's quiet contemplation. "Did you enjoy your tour of our leafy little hamlet, Spencer?"

"Very much so, your town has an amazing history from the way JJ spoke about it. I'm also interested in getting to know the area a bit better. It was interesting getting a tour from a local perspective, but from an outsider's perspective, it's always so much fun to find the hidden nooks and crannies.

For instance, when I first moved toQuantico, I found a bookstore down the street from my apartment, which had been there for fifteen years, between a music store and a restaurant. In addition, it barely saw any business. The owner kept the store itself open for tax purposes, he's somewhat rich enough that he sinks money into the business that he can afford to lose as a tax write-off, but the books inside the store were amazing. I go there every week, and buy at least ten new books.

And since the idea of the place is too lose money, I don't think I've ever spent more than two thousand dollars in there at one time."

"How much do you spend on books," her mom asked, "And more importantly," her dad asked, "How can you afford it? We know that Jenny makes a good salary, but she can't spend a couple thousand dollars a week on a whim."

"Um…" he said fidgeting under their stares.

"It's alright Spence," she said quietly, "you don't have to tell us. I'm sure it has something to do with your PhD's, right?"

He nodded firmly and she looked at her parents, telling them to drop the topic. They acquiesced.

"We're sorry, Spencer, that was awfully rude. To get back on topic, what you're suggesting is that you take Jenny on a walkabout and see what you can find that she hasn't noticed before?"

He eagerly nodded this time, his grin infectious. Her parents looked at her, and each smiled fiendishly in return.

"I think that's a wonderful idea," her mom said. "Why don't you make that the plan for tomorrow? You and James can put a tape in for tonight, while Jennifer and I get dinner started."

She was about to protest, but saw the look on her mom's face, and winced. Why did she get the feeling she was about to be interrogated?

They moved to the kitchen, where her mom started gathering the pots and pans she needed for the chicken that was laid out, thawing. "I thought you weren't dating that young man, Jennifer?"

She winced, and looked at her mom's stern expression, wilting.

"I… we aren't… it's complicated. When I collapsed at work the other day, I was not in a good place, mom. I hadn't eaten or slept in about three days, and the exhaustion caught up with me all at once. I haven't been taking what happened inBostonwell, as you can probably tell."

Her mom nodded, gesturing for her to continue.

"Spence was the first person I saw when I woke up in the hospital, and he immediately put all my fears to rest. I've been friends with him since the day we met, but I swear I never thought he'd looked twice at me in that regard. We talked for hours, that first day, and even more the second. That was about five days afterBoston," she murmured.

"Then, the next day he came back again. He brought me coffee, and told me that he and our friend Derek had run by my house, and gathered some of my clothes so that I could leave the hospital in fresh clothes. And," she said quietly, "He gave me your messages."

Her mom nodded again.

"It was gradual at first, mom. I swear. I don't even think we noticed it at first, but I quit calling him "Spencer" that day. Then, small little things became lingering touches, and last night…" she blushed. "Nothing happened," she said when her mom noticed her blush; "I just wanted to talk, about anything really. When he started telling me about _Scheherazade_, and everything, it just seemed natural to sit close on the bed.

I don't honestly remember falling asleep, or how we moved to be together like we were this morning."

Her mom looked at her, a smug grin on her face.

"He's been there," her mom said, "a friend, confidante. Just… I don't really know your young man that well, but he seems like the type that will easily break, Jennifer. Don't start anything with him unless you aim to keep it. If you're not sure, don't lie and risk hurting him, or yourself. He's an honorable young man, and your father and I like him, if that matters any, so we will support your relationship with him in any way."

"Thank you mom," JJ said moving close enough to wrap her arms around her mom's shoulders. "If… if anything does happen between us, I will want to make sure it's permanent. Spence is a great guy, I know that."

"Good," her mom said. "Now, go tell your father that I've decided you still can't cook to save your life, and to get in here."

JJ looked down at the haphazardly cut chicken slices she'd been helping her mom with, and said, "Sorry mom."

She walked out of the kitchen and into the living room where her dad was regaling Spence with one of her old soccer tapes, the state championship by the looks of it, where she'd just scored the first of three goals she'd accumulated in the game.

"And Captain Jennifer 'JJ' Jareau with a hooking left shot! Goalkeeper Cassandra Tanners can't keep up with it, and GOAL! The Wildcat's Pride does it again!"

She laughed as Spence yelped in excitement, his hands clapping as her dad laughed. She watched the next goal, her teammate Samantha Rider, Sammie, had intercepted the pass to defender Claire Waters and kicked another one in.

"And a goal for Co-captain Kathryn 'Knight' Rider; get ready Penn Hill, the Wildcats are coming for that trophy!"

"That was a good game," she said coming into the room, her eyes moist as she stared at the screen where the younger JJ had just hugged her teammate, the excitement of playing in the big game shared amongst the captain and co-captain.

"It really was Jenny," her dad said, "I was just showing Spencer here the highlights of your soccer career. As I was saying, Spencer, until she attended that seminar with David Rossi, she wanted to go to the Summer Olympics, and had trained for years to make TeamUSAsoccer."

"I never realized you played a sport while you were in high school, JJ," the genius said as she sat on the couch beside her. She smiled and said, "Dad, mom wants you in the kitchen. Apparently, I'm as bad of a cook as I've always been."

Her dad cocked his brow at her, looking at the small amount of space between the two. Then, he stood and said, "Well, I'll be back when dinner is ready. You two should wash up."

"Alright dad," JJ said turning to her friend, "you can take the shower first, Spence."

He nodded, and walked up the stairs. She smiled, watching him as he walked up them, lost in raging thoughts, as the sounds of days long past echoed in her mind.

When he came down, ten minutes later; JJ stood and made her way past him, surprised that the young Doctor even had a pair of sweat pants, or that he would choose to wear them.

It didn't take her long to shower. By the time she'd arrived for dinner, the plates were already set out, and her parents were sat in their usual places. Spence had been seated when she'd entered, but stood when he noticed her. She cocked her eyebrow at him, wondering why he'd stood when he was already seated. He then moved behind her chair, and pulled it out for her. On a whim, she roamed her fingers down his arm, and watched him squirm awkwardly, before he pushed the seat in for her.

She shot her mom a warning glare; the amusement on her mom's face giving her more than enough of a clue as to her matron's state of mind. When Spence had finally seated himself again, her mom took the cover off the platter before them.

The smell hit her before the sight met her eyes, which widened in appreciation.

"You made chicken alfredo, mom?"

"I did," her mom said happily. "It isn't often I get to cook for someone new, and it's been so long since I've been able to cook this for one of my children. Spencer, I hope you like it."

He looked at the pasta meal with a bit of apprehension, but took a good portion anyway. At the first taste, his eyes widened and he looked at her with amazement that she had never before appreciated on anyone before then.

"This is amazing, Mrs. Jareau," he said happily, "I've never had it before."

Her mom shot him a surprised look, before her gaze turned pitying. JJ noticed her moms pitying gaze and shook her head a bit, trying to tell her mom that her friend hated pity. Her dad reached over, taking her mom's hand and gave her a penetrating gaze.

"So Spencer," her dad said looking at her friend. "May I ask you a question?"

"More than the one's you've already asked," Spence asked her father with a smile, trying to indicate he was joking; before nodding. Her dad laughed, a smile on his face as he said, "You've indicated that next week you're going home, do you mind if I ask where you grew up?"

Spencer looked at him and said, "I grew up inLas Vegas,Nevada. I graduated from theLas VegasPublic Schoolsystem when I was twelve, before attending Caltech when I was thirteen."

"We're going to Vegas," JJ asked him incredulously. Spencer looked at her and said, "If you're still planning on coming with, then yes, I'd really love to have you along. I still own the home I grew up in, though it's hardly ever lived-in, so we won't actually be inLas Vegasproper, just outside."

Her parents shared a look. Briefly, she wondered what they shared in those few seconds, but ignored the uneasy feeling she'd gotten at the sight.

"You're not planning on eloping with my little girl, are you, Doctor Reid," her dad asked. She shot him a look, and she knew he was asking seriously. She winced, but was surprised when Spencer looked at him and said, "to be completely truthful, Mr. Jareau, I'll be visiting my mother for the majority of the time I'm home. I'm not sure how much pleasant company I'm going to be."

JJ's stomach clenched as she heard the pain in the young genius's voice, and wondered what scared him so much about visiting his mother."

Her dad, however, seemed much calmer about the situation.

"Alright," he said.

She sighed in relief.

That night, she again went to her room and lay down with the intention of sleeping until morning. Nevertheless, when _Scheherazade_ again started playing, she couldn't help but remember the night before. She stood, and like the night before, walked across the hall and knocked on the door.

Spence opened the door, almost as if he'd been waiting for her to arrive. When she entered the room, she closed her eyes, letting the smooth violin again bewitch her mind and ensnare her senses.

"JJ," Spence said quietly drawing her attention. She opened her eyes, and almost crumbled in the defeated look she saw there.

"What is it, Spence?" she asked quietly.

"I need to tell you some things that I've never shared with anyone; mostly because I've never taken anyone home with me before."

She sat down on his bed, and motioned for him to continue.

"Alright," she said, "I can tell that it's bothering you fiercely, Spence. It's probably not as bad as it seems. Personally, I can't wait to meet your mother."

He winced.

"I am going to meet your mom, aren't I Spence?"

He looked at her and said, "I… I'm not sure how well her doctors will take to me introducing someone new into her life, JJ."

"Doctors…?" JJ asked immediately, her mind jumping to the worst possible conclusions. Spence nodded.

"My mom…" he started, trailing off… "My mom is a patient at Bennington Sanitarium. She has been since I had her committed when I was eighteen. She's a paranoid schizophrenic."

JJ's eyes widened, her hand palming her mouth automatically as she gasped. "Spence…?"

"I… I'm not sure who I'm going to see whenever I go see my mom, JJ. Sometimes, she's the mom I remember. Sometimes, she's the professor of fifteenth century literature who will let a wayward student sit and listen to a lecture. Sometimes, she's convinced that I'm not her son, but a government spy that's been sent to infiltrate her life. Sometimes, she's the mother I had committed, who screams hateful and hurtful things at the son that betrayed her. I-I don't know that I can ask you to subject yourself to that."

She took his hand in hers and pulled him bodily toward her, her arms encircling him as she held him as he started to cry. She whispered sweet nothings to him, until he fell asleep, and followed in Morpheus' stead a few seconds later.

_"There is no such thing as security. There never has been. – Germaine Greer"_


	7. Chapter Six: Gamble

_CHAPTER SIX: Gamble_

"_Life is a gamble, at terrible odds – if it was a bet you wouldn't take it. – Tom Stoppard"_

Weeks-end came a lot sooner than she would have liked, JJ thought as she stood over her ready bag, collecting and packing her clothes. She couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive at the upcoming trip.

Ever since that second night; where she'd held a grieving Spencer Reid as he cried for all the losses he'd sustained in his short but difficult life, the two hadn't been apart for more than a matter of minutes.

When they'd woken up the morning after Spence's matronly confession, the future had seemed so bright. They'd enjoyed a serene walk through North Versailles, before heading towards Caliban Books, which was just outside of the city itself. JJ swore she'd never seen the brown-haired genius so excited; the musty smells from old books must have been euphoric for someone that could read a two-thousand-page book in less than an hour.

When he'd found one book in particular, JJ winced at the five hundred dollar price tag. Spence took one look at it, and requested that it be wrapped, paying for the well-worn title with something akin to awe in his looks.

"Margery Kempe," he said a minute later, "My mom's favorite."

Somehow, in the weeks since the tragedy of Boston, and their subsequent vacation, the two had grown a connection of untold strength. They were connected by something; a deep, thriving, compulsion. To be honest, it scared her to death.

Now, they were headed to Las Vegas! The city that made marriage feels like a cheap, meaningless thrill. All the while, she cursed herself for the feelings coursing through her.

She wanted to bed Spencer Reid, wanted to make him hers, in a deep, final way to ensure he never again looked toward another woman. She wanted to hold him closely at night, and to have him hold her as he had everyday the past week.

Her clothes packed, she looked around her childhood room. Her apprehension had exploded the second after she'd picked up her ready bag, and placed it upon her shoulder. What was going on with her?

"Jennifer," her mom's voice caught her attention. She looked up, and wasn't surprised to see her mom standing at her open door, a look of worry on her knowing face. "Are you going to be alright?"

"Mom," she whispered suddenly bereft. She could feel her hand shaking, and could feel the fear traveling up her spine. She was terrified!

"Jenny," her mom said her voice softening as she moved close enough to wrap her in an embracing hug, as if she didn't want someone overhearing her next words. "You don't have to go."

"I…" JJ began, pausing. "I think that I do."

"Dear," her mom said knowingly. "You're completely terrified. I'm sure if you explain that too your young man he will understand."

"That…" JJ said taking a shaky breath, "No he won't. Spence is… he's different mom. He would see through any lie I told him, if I were even tempted to try, and he wouldn't understand that I'm terrified of what's happening between us. He'd see it as another person abandoning him, when they promised him that they'd stand by him, and I won't do that too him."

"It's not your responsibility to mother him, dear. He's a grown man," her mom said soothingly.

"I don't want to _mother_ him, mom," JJ said sarcastically. Her mom's eyes widened and she took a step back, as if burned.

"When did this happen," her mom asked. JJ winced, knowing what her mom was asking, but not sure how to answer her. She looked up and said, "I wish I knew."

"So you have to go then," her mom said. The finality in her voice startled JJ. She could hear the tears in her mom's voice. She took a deep breath, evening out her breath to steady her nerves.

"Yeah," JJ said quietly. "I need to be there. I can't explain why, but it's important he know I'm not going to abandon him, mom. I…" she couldn't say what she wanted so desperately to say next.

"I know dear," her mom said.

"JJ," Spence's voice came from behind the door, as he knocked twice on the wooden doorframe. She jerked her eyes wide as she looked at her mom. Her mom smiled at her, and said, "Good luck, dear."

"I'm coming Spence," she said giddily, trying to disguise the apprehension in her voice with anticipation. Spence looked at her, his eyes scanning her for any last-second apprehension. She knew what he was looking for, and knew that he'd see it if she didn't get a move on, so grabbed his hand and said, "Let's go" as she pulled him towards the door.

Her dad met them as they were leaving, body striking an imposing figure as they approached.

"Spencer," her dad said as they approached, "It was very good to meet you, son. I hope you'll give your mother our best."

"Thank you, Mr. Jareau," he said quietly, taking her dad's outstretched hand. Her dad shook it quickly, before turning to her. "Jenny," her dad said pulling her into his strong embrace. "Have fun, be safe and call us when you land so that we'll know you're okay."

"I will dad," she said firmly. Her mom had followed them in, and moved beside her dad; where she was giving Spence a strong, maternal hug and wishing them the best.

They were about to leave when Spencer turned, and said, "Thank you for inviting me into your home, Mr. and Mrs. Jareau. I appreciate the warmth and hospitality you've shown me, a perfect stranger. Please know that you'll always be in my thoughts, and that I was, and am, honored to know you."

Her parents nodded at him, and before he turned her dad, who had never allowed anyone the privilege said, "You may call me James, Spencer."

"And I'm Jessica," her mom said. "You've proven yourself to be a polite young man, its only right we return the honor you've given us."

Spence nodded again. Then, to her shock he turned to her. "JJ," he said, "If you want to stay with your parents, I would more than understand."

He was giving her an out, she knew. She could see in his eyes that he expected her to take it.

"Nonsense," she said, "My parents are probably tired of having us here, anyways, Spence."

Her dad went to retort, but she heard her mom elbow him.

"Okay," he said. She took his hand again, and before he could press the issue pulled him away from the house. She did not intend to change her mind, or to allow her mind to be changed, no matter how frightened she was. With that, she opened the driver's side of her car and said, "Where are we leaving from?"

The flight leaves at six o'clock this evening from Washington Dulles International Airport," Spence told her calmly. "If we leave now, we will have at least two hours to grab extra clothing and personal items from our apartments before the flight leaves. I converted my single seat too two seats on a later flight."

JJ nodded, and said, "Alright Spence."

The drive back to Quantico was surprisingly light. The tense, grief-laden atmosphere that had awoken in JJ in the wee hours of the morning had almost disappeared. Yet, as they appeared closer and closer to the city, she could almost feel her young genius withdrawing into himself again. She frowned, wondering what was causing him so much distress.

"Spence?" she asked quietly as they pulled into his building's assigned parking spot. He looked at her, his eyes questioning her as she smiled lightly.

"I'm nervous, JJ," he said equally quietly. She nodded, encouraging him to continue his train of thought. "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you're coming with me! I'm just scared that mom's not going to be herself and…" he trailed off. She sighed, and nodded, unshed tears moistening her eyes as she forced his chin up to look at her.

"Spence, I promise you that I am going to be there with you. Nothing your mom says or does will scare me off. You've given me ample warning of how she is with her schizophrenia, and so I'm as prepared as I can be."

He smiled at her, and nodded his head. She could see the confusion in his eyes.

She knew what he wanted to ask, but was too scared to know the answer.

"I'll be back to go with you to the airport in about an hour, Spence. I need to go to my apartment and restock my ready bag. Do you want to get lunch before the flight, or wait and risk the in-flight meal?"

Spence shuddered at the thought and said, "I'd like to get lunch, if you're up to it, JJ."

She smiled at him, and said, "that's what we'll do then. I'll see you when I get back."

He nodded.

She rushed home, eager to get back before he got the bright idea of going without her. She knew it was a risk to leave the young genius, he was bone-chillingly terrified that his mom was going to ruin whatever was going on between the two of them. She rushed inside the moment she got there, and hurriedly repacked her ready bag with a clean set of clothes. She set her dirty clothes in the hamper, and quickly checked her answering machine.

The only significant calls were from Morgan and Penelope Garcia, both wondering where she'd wandered off too; if she was with the junior G-man (Garcia's words, JJ noted), and when she was going to be home.

She called Garcia on the way out of the apartment, telling her that she, and by proxy Spence, had been at her parents house in Pennsylvania, and that they were going too his home town. Garcia immediately wanted to know all the details, but she brushed her off, telling the tech analyst that she'd know all once they returned.

Garcia thanked her profusely and told her that Derek was already on his way over to see Spence that he was at her apartment when JJ had called and left the moment she knew they were back. JJ rolled her eyes, and thanked her for the honesty and told her that she'd call back later.

Hanging up, she was no more out the door when her phone rang again. She looked down and laughed.

"Hey Spence," she said automatically.

"JJ," Spencer's voice said, cracking slightly, "Did you have a creepy message from Garcia ordering you to call her when you got back on your answering machine?"

She laughed, inciting her nosy neighbor's endless curiosity as she walked down the staircase of her apartment. "I did, I also called to avoid the wrath of said technical analyst. Why?"

"Because," Spence said, "I'm suddenly afraid for my life, JJ."

She laughed, again, before warning him that Derek was on his way and that she'd be right behind him. Then, she said goodbye and started her engine. The loud roar shot a thrill up her spine, and she pulled out of the parking lot, a lot happier than she had the last time she'd exited.

When she arrived, Derek's muscle car was sitting in the visitor's parking lot. She looked at her watch, noticing that they still had a little over an hour before they needed to leave, so figured that Spence was already entertaining their friend. For a second, Spence's story of how Derek used to treat him rang through her mind, and fury rose up within her, but she suppressed it with the knowledge that Penelope Garcia had already thawed that long frozen heart.

She buzzed up to his apartment. Immediately, the signal to unlock was sent through and she entered. Once she arrived at the correct door, she knocked and entered when she heard Morgan's teasingly flirtatious voice say, "Come in hot stuff!"

She briefly wondered if he was expecting Garcia too rush over, but ignored the thought in favor of actually going inside.

"JJ," Derek's surprise stopped her cold. She looked at Spence, who was struggling not to say something, when Derek laughed and said, "I'm just messing with you. Pretty boy tells me that the two of you have spent the last week together. Something you want to tell me?"

"Nothing happened," Spence told him exasperatingly. JJ saw Derek roll his eyes, looking at Spence like he would an UNSUB that was being particularly trying. She knew Spence caught the look, by the way his face contorted, but she couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation.

"We have," she agreed. Derek smiled, and said, "That's the spirit, Pretty boy. I knew you had it in you!"

"Derek," Spence protested, "Nothing happened. I just met JJ's parents, and she's going home with me too meet my mom!"

She wondered if Spence realized how that sounded? Looking at him, she could tell he thought he was just stating a fact, not declaring his untold love for her, but Morgan didn't see the look and did take it the wrong way.

"Meeting the parents, JJ? I didn't even know you two were dating, let alone too that stage yet. Is that why you stayed with her at the hospital, Pretty boy? Hoping you'd get some fine loving?"

Reid sighed again, shooting Derek with a glare that could melt lead. She laughed again, unable to resist.

"Spence, we need to leave in an hour, if we're going to catch the flight."

Spence nodded to her and said, "Morgan, I really need to get my ready bag put together, so would you mind letting me go, please?"

Derek released him, and smiled. When he left, though, Derek turned to her, his expression set.

"Do you have any idea how he feels for you, JJ?"

She shook her head, not knowing, but not wanting too. If he wanted her, she knew she'd go to him in an instant. If he didn't, she had no clue how she'd handle the rejection. Apparently, Morgan saw it, though, and said, "If you're starting to feel even half of what he's been feeling since the day he met you, JJ, then I say go for it."

Her eyes widened at the implication.

"What are you two talking about?" Spence said as he re-entered the room, his ready bag on his shoulder. It was a skill any and all of them had, the ability to unpack and repack in less than five minutes, since sometimes they had less than that before a case came in and they were recalled to duty.

"A bit of this, a little of that," Morgan said automatically. She looked at Spence, wondering if she'd see the feelings that Morgan said were there, but noticed that he had his mask in place already. She knew why, now that he'd shared that part of his life with her, but it still hurt too see it in action. "So, Pretty boy, where are you and the beautiful Agent Jareau heading this week?"

"Vegas," Reid said, ignoring Morgan's wide-eyed look as he turned to her. She shook her head, knowing what the man was thinking. "Not for that reason," she told him, incase he misinterpreted her meaning. "Spence was born and raised in Las Vegas."

Morgan's speculative eye turned back to her young genius and said, "That's why you always beat me at poker, isn't it?"

Reid smiled at him, shrugged and said, "Possibly."

"I will get you back for that, youngster," Derek menacingly uttered, though the smile on his face negated the 'righteous anger' their teammate was expressing. JJ laughed when Reid's face paled a bit, and turned to give him a dirty look.

Then, the blushing genius excused himself; ostensibly, to use the bathroom before they left for their trip, claiming that airplane bathrooms were 'unnecessarily unsanitary'.

"Derek," JJ softly muttered as soon as he was out of hearing range gaining the well-built Supervisory Special Agent's attention.

"What's up JJ," he said equally quietly.

"Spence told my family about the first time you met Garcia, and how you used to treat him."

Derek winced slightly, and she saw tears in the older man's eyes.

"I don't think he's ever thought about saying it, we both know how socially awkward he is, but I want you to know that he forgives you. He may not even realize it, but he told us that he silently thanks Garcia everyday for pulling the real you out. I'm letting you know so that you can forgive yourself."

Derek looked at her, examining her sincerity. She looked him in the eye, not blinking, while he did so. When he softly smiled at her, he nodded and said, "I wasn't good to him when he first joined. I think that's why I'm always trying to make it up to him. I- I'm not proud of who I was then, JJ."

She nodded. "He also made clear that you're one of his best friends, so that has to mean something."

He smiled this time, relief easily evident on his face.

"Thank you for telling me," he said a few minutes before Spence re-entered the living room. To her shock, Derek stood up when Spence entered and gave her young genius a large hug, and told him that he was sorry.

Spence looked at him, confusion on his face. She watched him look at Morgan, and watched him connect the dots between her and the hug he was currently receiving. Then, red-faced, Spence returned the hug and said, "I forgave you for that a long time ago, Derek."

Derek looked at him and said, "And I didn't, and don't, deserve it."

"That was and is my decision," he told the older agent before turning to JJ and asking, "How did that even get brought up?"

"I brought it up," JJ admitted, "because Derek needed to know you forgave him."

Spence looked at her, studying JJ for a few seconds, when he said, "is this an ongoing lesson on protocols for social interactions?"

She nodded, biting her lip for a few seconds, "if you want to see it that way, yes."

"What are you two talking about," Derek asked as he sat back down. She looked at her watch, and noticed that it was still about five minutes before they had to leave. She looked at Spence, not wanting to disrespect his privacy again, relieved when he smiled at her.

"When we got to my parent's house, Spence asked me what the protocol for meeting your friend's parents was. I explained it to him, and he took to it as a duck takes to water. When I realized…" she trailed off, not wanting to reveal that Spence had taught her a bit of profiling.

"When you realized that I'd never actually verbalized that I'd forgiven Derek," Spence took up her thoughts, causing Derek's mind to catch them, he was a great profiler himself. "You wanted to make sure that I could forgive myself, as Pretty boy had."

She nodded. "Its part of what makes my job difficult, I always have to untangle bureaucratic knots, so this was something I was happy to do."

"You'd make a great profiler," Derek admitted a few seconds later. She smiled, begging Spence to keep the knowledge of their secret sessions to himself. He nodded just briefly, and said, "I'd hate to run you out, Derek, but we need to leave? Can you make sure my apartment is locked up when you leave?"

"I can stay," Derek asked surprised. Spence looked at him, and slowly nodded his head. "I trust you, Derek, and have no problem with you being in my home while I'm not here. You're more than welcome… anytime."

Derek nodded again, and this time said, "You're growing into a fine young man, Pretty boy."

Spence, she noticed, was beaming.

They were almost out of the door, when Derek's voice came too them. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

Spence looked at her, confusion on his face, as he said in an overdramatic manner, "That doesn't cover much, does it?"

JJ erupted in laughter, as she shook her head in amusement. They heard Derek, who must have been standing at the door listening, bark in laughter.

"No, I don't think it does, Spence."

The drive out of Quantico was silent, taking Spence's older car instead of her newer one, a few minutes later. JJ noticed that the closer they drove too the airport, the more nervous Spence became. Soon, his leg was pivoting and he was twiddling his thumbs."

"It's going to be okay, Spence," she told him softly.

"How can you be so sure?" her nervously asked her. "What if mom doesn't know who I am? Alternatively, how will you react if mom turns her rage onto you? I-I don't know what to expect."

"If she doesn't know who you are, Spence, we'll sit with her like students, letting her lecture on random, inconsequential things. If she screams those horrible things, then I'll hug you and let you cry on my shoulder when we leave. I won't," she took a breath knowing that he was going to read into what she said next, "I won't take them personally. You need to trust me; I won't turn and run away from your mom, Spence."

She felt his eyes studying her, and she could feel her heart racing as his eyes penetrated to her very soul. Finally, gently, his hand fell onto her arm and JJ felt his thumb rubbing circles. Goosebumps trailed where the warmth of his skin touched the warmth of hers.

"Thank you JJ," he said quietly. "I'm sorry I'm so nervous."

"Don't be, Spence," she told him equally quiet.

They arrived too the airport, the silence around them comforting. They were two hours early for their flight; logistically they had arrived in enough time to process through.

The lines were moving slowly; however, as they moved towards the checkpoint, both pulled out their badges, and concealed carry permits. The security officers nodded them through, and told them to have a good day. When they later arrived too the boarding line for their flight, the security guard there noticed their guns right away, showing a diligence that JJ was impressed with, and was about to pull his gun when they both opened their badges again.

The guard relaxed, and allowed them into the passenger's area, where they walked over too the refreshment area. Spence grabbed a couple cans of soda, Coca Cola for him, a Diet Pepsi for her and two hamburgers.

They were sat at a table, eating, when another officer entered, accompanying a handcuffed man who was cursing and threatening the man, his family and every other aspect of the officer's life.

JJ looked at Spence, who was studying the scene before them. She could tell he was examining the probability of having to involve himself in the escalating problem. The U.S. Marshall tried to get the prisoner to quiet down, as he approached the line for early boarding.

She sighed as she noticed Spence stand, and stood herself. They moved in behind the Marshall, who was forcing the prisoner to face forward, and showed him their badges without speaking. He relaxed slightly, and nodded quietly, thanking them.

When they were waved through, the Marshall had cuffed the prisoner to the seat in front of him. He was already explaining directly that there was no chance of being kicked off the plane as he was in federal custody. He was also heavily implying that the offender's attitude would cause him more problems, if he didn't get himself under control.

The jailed prisoner quieted immediately, as the Marshall silently thanked them for their support.

The flight was underway half an hour later. Thankfully, JJ noticed, there didn't seem to be any other problems with the prisoner.

"So," she said about thirty minutes into the flight, "Other than seeing your mom, are you going to do anything else while we're in Vegas?"

"I'm planning on hitting the casinos," Spence told her, "Bennington only allows a maximum of four hours per day per patient, because most of the patients there are; like my mother, dangerous if agitated."

She smiled, "Maybe I'll see the genius in action?"

He laughed, causing JJ's heart to race as she settled back in her seat, resting her head on his shoulder, as she closed her eyes.

"Sometimes," JJ said before falling asleep, "I miss using the jet when we have to fly commercially."

"We get so used to the privacy that it's hard to acclimatize to having so many other people around." Spence agreed, watching the other passengers as they went about their various businesses. She watched his eyes scanning the passengers visible from where they were sitting, profiling them out of habit. She noticed him watching for various signs, and tales, trying to see if there was any trouble going on around them.

He settled back, seconds later, having concluded that none of the people around them; at least, were dangerous to them or anyone else on the plane.

Not able to fight the desire anymore, JJ's eyes closed as she fell into a deep, comforting sleep. She didn't notice when Spence wrapped his arm across her shoulders, and pulled her deeply into his side.

She awoke, probably two hours later, covered in a thin, blue blanket. She noticed that Spence had earphones in, connected to the console above him. She noticed that he was staring ahead to a screen that was playing what seemed to be the fourth Harry Potter movie. She felt his arm move behind her, and her eyes widened as she turned to feel her head against his shoulder, a blush coming to her face as she realized the position her body was in.

"JJ," he said quietly, "How do you feel?"

"I'm good," she told him equally quiet, "I'm sorry I fell asleep."

"Don't be," her young genius said to her, "in a way, your body is still recovering from it's ordeal last week. I'm just glad you're comfortable enough around me you can fall asleep."

She smiled at him, and her hand moved down to cover his, as she said, "You make me feel safe, Doctor Reid."

Spence's eyes widened, and she could almost visualize his mind working to connect the dots she'd scattered around. Seconds passed in uncomfortable silence, before slowly, a deep; maroon blush erupted on his face. Spence looked at their connected hands, then too her knowing gaze.

"JJ," he whispered, his breath hitching as he studied her silently. "Please…" he pleaded.

She locked her gaze to his, and tried to impress upon him the seriousness of her conviction. She felt his eyes on hers, felt her being opening to him unlike any other person she'd ever known.

"Why now," he asked her. She took a deep breath, knowing the question was coming. She could feel him inspecting her every nuance, looking for the slightest indication of untruth.

"Because," she paused for a second, her mind racing over the events that led them here. Boston, and all of the horrible repercussions in its aftermath. Her stay in the hospital, and her constant companion. The stay with her parents, when her feelings for her young genius evolved.

"Because, when I think about all the sorrows we've been through since Adrian Bale, when I see what our inactivity and hesitance cost us, not only as a team but on a personal level, I know that I cannot hesitate with what I want. Not…" she paused, "Not if it is truly important. Not if you," she took a deep breath, "Not if you are as vitally important to me as I'm becoming to realize."

He stared at her. She stared back, begging with her eyes that he would see the truth they contain. He released her hand, and for a second her stomach clenched in his rejection of her. Then, like a floodgate, his hand cupped her face and she leaned into him.

"I've been infatuated since the day we first met, JJ," he whispered softly. Her heart raced as he leaned in. "But," he said. Agonizing pain shot up her spine, "But, I need to know… I need to know that you're not saying this out of some obligation. I need to know that this isn't some type of transference; that our constant presence around the other hasn't caused this change in our friendship. I could allow myself to fall in love with you, so easily, that it would make the speed of light seem like a snails-pace. But not if; in the proverbial morning, you decide it was all a mistake."

She studied him now, her eyes searching his, seeking validation. She pulled away from his hand, ignoring the people around them, and pulled him into a searing kiss. She pleaded to every deity in existence to have him respond, not knowing what would happen to them if he did not.

Her heart raced, as she felt his hand again cup her face. His lips trembled below hers, and she could feel tears, real tears, flowing down his face. She wanted to leap for joy, wanted to scream it from the rooftop of the tallest building.

When the kiss ended, after what seemed an eternity, she could see his brain had shut down to process all that had just happened. She grabbed his hand, missing the constant contact they'd shared, as she watched his mind at work.

She noticed, funnily enough, that his body worked on autopilot when his mind was at work. The stewardess had announced their imminent arrival, and then the process of debarking had began, all the while Spence was working through what had just happened.

They were already on the ground, walking too the rental car Spence had called ahead to have on standby, when his mind disengaged and he looked around.

"Welcome back," she said lightly, hoping that he'd come to a positive conclusion about their relationship.

"Thank you," Spence said. "Are you aware that only thirty percent of office romances actually succeed, JJ?"

She sighed, and pulled into the parking lot of a local restaurant. A good thing about their work, she supposed, was that it took them all over.

"I wasn't," she said honestly, "Are you saying you don't want to risk it?"

"Not at all," he assured her, "I'm just afraid."

She nodded, "I am too. I'm terrified of being rejected, Spence."

"I-" he paused, "I could never reject you, JJ. Not if what you're saying is true. Because the way I feel for you, the way you make me feel, is the most wonderful feeling I've ever experienced. I'd like to try, if you're serious about me."

She smiled.

"_You've got to know when to hold'em, know when to fold'em, know when to walk away, know when to run. – Kenny Rogers, The Gambler"_


	8. Chapter Seven: Pain

_CHAPTER SEVEN: Pain_

"_History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again. – Maya Angelou"_

The house they arrived outside of, just after dusk that night, JJ would later admit, was not what she expected. It was two stories, tan and white, and obviously well maintained though no one lived here. The outside was landscaped, with new shrubbery lining the fence at the backyard, where a barbeque pit was set up. A sprinkler system was set up, watering the yard.

"Do you keep water on?" she asked.

"And electricity," he confirmed. "I don't often stay here, but since I'm not here to actually use any utilities, the bills aren't outrageously high, so I keep them on for when I am here. I own the house, well… technically my mom owns it but I have her power of attorney so it's in my name. I don't have cable, or the internet hooked up, but I do have a selection of movies and a television. There are four rooms, two bathrooms. We'll have to go to the grocery store if we decide too cook while we're here, but I usually just order takeout."

She nodded.

"Come in," he said as he pushed the door open. "There's a safe in the master bedroom for our sidearm, I had it installed the first time I came here after I joined the BAU. The combination is 79-14-30-55, which was the amount of time that passed before the job brought me to Las Vegas. Seventy-nine days, fourteen hours, thirty minutes and fifty-five seconds.

JJ smiled, as she entered the house, a staircase stood to the left immediately upon entry. Straight ahead, led into the dining room, and the living room was too her right.

"It's beautiful," she said. "It's hard to imagine this is where you grew up."

"It is," Spence told her. "It was originally in my father's name, but a few weeks after he left us, my mom received the deed to the house and the land; transferred into her name along with a bank account number that had half the money from their joint account, and a considerable amount more. They never actually divorced," he said to her, "So every month, mom's bank account is automatically deposited about nine-thousand dollars. I think, somewhere, he still sees her as his responsibility."

"Wow," JJ said.

"JJ," Spence said a second later. She looked at him, and was surprised to feel his lips touch hers, an arc of electricity travelling up her spine.

"I needed to know," Spence told her, a soft smile on his face as he looked at her, his hand again cupping her cheek. She leaned in, looking into his brown eyes, and said, "And now?"

"Now," Spence said, "I do. JJ, would you be my girlfriend?"

She giggled, a soft smile coming to her face as she locked her gaze to his. In response, she pushed closer to him, her knees automatically moving to straddle his lap, as she locked her lips to his.

"I thought you'd never ask," she said.

The kiss was intense. It was all consuming, and it was all too brief. She could feel the way his body was reacting to hers, and she could feel her own reacting in response. She moved her body closer, conformed so tightly to his that air wouldn't be able to squeeze through.

She could feel his hands roaming her back, pulling her deeper into him, as her lips again connected to his. Her hair feel, from the arc of her head, to land over them.

His left hand moved automatically, sweeping the hair from her eyes, as he said, "This is all my dreams come true. I'm afraid I'm going to wake up in the morning, and it will have all been a delusion my mind created."

She smiled.

"Are you comfortable?" JJ asked him. He nodded.

"Then sleep," she told him, her lips covering his again. "And in the morning, when you wake up; I'll still be here, in your arms, like I have been for the past week. And tomorrow, you'll introduce me to your mother, and we'll do this again tomorrow night."

Spence nodded, and his hand reached down to his side. He pulled the release for the footstool, and reclined the seat back. JJ's head came to rest, ear pressed, against his heart. The steady thump of his heart beating luring her to sleep in ways _Scheherazade_ never would.

Spencer Reid was up first, in the early hours of the next morning. A lightweight pressed against every inch of his body. He could feel his morning erection pressing against, and into, something that offered equal resistance. His hands were full of something wonderfully silky, and he could feel an even, deep breath on his neck.

His eyes shot open, though that was the only part of him that reacted. His memories of the last night shot through his mind, and his eyes met the face of the beautiful creature adorning him.

She was even more beautiful than he ever remembered. Which, considering his memory, was saying something.

His hand came up, his fingers lightly running up and down her cheek, as he felt tears beginning to leak from his eyes. This was all he'd ever dared let himself dream about, and it was exhilarating.

Statistics flew through his mind at the speed of thought. Prevalent in his mind, one he'd already shared with the woman sleeping atop him. Thirty percent of all workplace relationships result in marriage. The disparity, in his mind, was enormous. There was a seventy percent chance, in his mind, that their relationship would fail. Would the risk of ending their friendship be worth it, if every night this beautiful woman slept in his arms?

The answer came to him as quickly as Hermann von Helmholtz said it would; a resounding yes.

He didn't move, the warmth between them enough to lure him back into a deep sleep.

When JJ next woke, the sun had just risen over the horizon. There was a resounding throb coming from underneath her, and her bleary eyes could make out the silhouette of a man's face. What had woken her?

She stood, hearing a slam coming from the front door. She frowned, her eyes focusing on the male underneath her, wondering for just a second where she was.

It came back to her in an instant.

"Spence," she said softly, wishing for a moment that someone wasn't knocking on her boyfriend's door so early in the morning.

"Spence," she said again, lightly kissing his lips as she urged him to wake up. She didn't want to leave him until she'd fulfilled her promise from the night before, wanted him to know; absolutely, that there was no regret this morning.

His eyes opened slowly, bleary-eyed. She watched him wake up, amazed at how his body reacted to new stimuli.

"JJ," he said, his mouth suddenly dry. There was no sudden awkwardness, as there had been the first time they'd woken in each other's arms.

"No regrets," she whispered to him, her eyes locked on his.

The knocking at the door had increased now, coming so hard that she was afraid the door was going to splinter.

"Is that someone breaking my door down," Spence asked, his brain not fully functional yet. She knew it wouldn't be until he'd had at least a cup of coffee-flavored sugar.

"Yes, and they sound agitated. I wanted to sleep some more, before we woke up this morning, but…" she said silently apologizing. Spence looked at her, and his hand cupped her face, neither wanting to ruin the moment between them.

"JJ," he said. She rolled off him, kissing him lightly as she did so. He stood, and reached down with his hand. She smiled, amused. Glad that he was so comfortable with her around that he wanted to touch her.

They walked to the door, thankful that they'd never actually made it too the master bedroom, their sidearm's still sitting in their holsters. She grabbed hers, and stood too his side as Spencer opened the door.

"Can I help you officer," Spence asked as he motioned for her too put the gun away. She did so.

"We had a report of an unknown vehicle in the area, sir. Can you show me some ID?"

Spence nodded, and went to pull his badge out of his back pocket, when the officer saw his gun. JJ went for hers, on instinct, when Spencer said, "Officer, I'm reaching into my back pocket to pull out a badge. It has a concealed carry permit attached. Below that will be my driver's license."

The officer nodded, but kept his gun out. Spence flipped the badge open.

"The neighbor's say that this house belongs to Diana Reid, and that it has been abandoned for two years. How do you know her?"

"She's my mother. I have power of attorney paperwork showing that the house is legally in my name in a safe. Do you need to see it?"

The officer, who had put his gun away when he learned that Spence was FBI, shook his head. "No, but if you don't mind my asking, why did it take so long to answer the door?"

"WE were sleeping," JJ cut in.

His eyes widened, and he said, "I apologize for the inconvenience, Agents. After the recent gang activity a couple of streets over, we've increased the patrols. Are you in town on duty?"

"No," JJ said calming down, "We're actually on vacation, which is why we were so annoyed at being woken up."

"I understand. I'm Officer Carey Mahoney, yes my parents were fans of Police Academy, no I'm not sure what it says about my psyche and yes, I'm sorry for disturbing you."

Wishing him a good day, JJ closed the door and said, "That was exciting."

Spence looked at her, and said, "Not really. What does his parents being fans of the police academy have to do with his name?"

She wanted to laugh at her young genius, thinking he was being sarcastic. Then, a conversation from a few months ago came to her mind.

"JJ," Derek's smooth, baritone voice came to her as they boarded the plane after a grueling case in Seattle, Washington, "A little birdie tells me that you were Sleepless in Seattle last night. I didn't take you for a Tom Hanks kind of gal."

She laughed. After they had wrapped up the case; Jill, Sarah, Monica and she had went to the local Blockbuster, and grabbed a movie each. She'd grabbed Sleepless in Seattle, Jill chose The Lake House, Sarah took Hitch and Monica Something's Gotta Give.

"I too had a difficult time sleeping last night," Spencer Reid, a young genius that was ninety-nine times out of a hundred the smartest person in a room, said from across the plane. "It was exacerbating, because usually I can fall asleep easily at night."

"That's not what I was talking about, Pretty boy," Derek said, laughing.

"It isn't? Then why did JJ agree with you? Did you actually sleep well, JJ?"

"I don't think he's kidding," Mark said to Hotch, while Abraham and Andrew laughed over a game of Chess.

She shared a look, finally fighting down the invading blush Derek Morgan caused. "It's the name of a movie, Spencer. It's the tale of a recently-widowed man who loses his wife, and whose son calls a radio talk show in an attempt to find his dad a partner."

"That doesn't make sense," Spencer said to them, "seventeen percent of all adult abductions are stranger abductions. That's why blind dates are inherently dangerous!"

"It's not meant to be taken so seriously, Doctor Reid," Monica said haughtily, her voice containing a laugh. "It's just a feel good movie about true-love."

Spencer sighed, "It's just not logical."

"You'll have to watch it with us," JJ said, "we'll return the movie too our local store, and they'll ship it back."

"Is that legal," Derek asked, looking at her. She nodded, "I also have a by-mail subscription, so long as the store participates in the exchange program, they have to honor it."

Derek nodded.

She felt the tears come to her eyes almost immediately, the pain from losing so many of her friends, family, raw. Boston was only a matter of months after that. Never again would Jill, Sarah, Monica and she rent romantic comedies and stay up all night, trying to erase the pictures and images of their most recent case from their minds.

"Police Academy," she said, her voice cracking as she remembered her fallen family, "is the name of a Steve Guttenberg movie about a petty thief that is railroaded into joining the police force. He has to go through the police academy, or face jail time, and he cannot quit under any circumstances. The main characters name is Carey Mahoney, which is why the officer said what he did."

Spence looked at her and nodded, which was considerably better than his last reaction, she thought.

"Thank you for telling me, JJ. I really appreciate it."

She smiled, and raised her arms to encircle him. "You're welcome, Spence. Now," she said, "I really need to use the bathroom, and take a shower."

He blushed and nodded. "The master bathroom is upstairs, off the master bedroom. It has a large sit-down bathtub. The auxiliary bathroom is located down the hall and too the right," he said pointing in the other direction. "Both should contain everything you need."

She nodded, and grabbed her ready bag off the coffee table. She looked at Spence, kissed him and said, "I'll be right back."

He nodded. "JJ," he said quickly before she walked away.

She turned again.

"Would you like to get breakfast before we go see my mom? Or would you prefer to eat afterwards?"

"Before," she said, "That way we won't leave for lunch, and then we can go directly to the store to buy things for dinner. Alright?"

He nodded, happily, taking the stairs two at a time.

After what seemed like a short shower, but was about twenty minutes, JJ stepped out dressed and refreshed. Her hair was dried, and she was debating on whether or not she should even bother taking her sidearm.

Finally deciding to leave it, she walked into the first bedroom she came too, and placed her ready bag on the bed inside. The room was beautiful, JJ noticed immediately. The walls were a sharp magenta, and the furniture was redwood, creating a thick contrast. The ceiling, a bright white, offered the needed amount of light.

When she exited, JJ wasn't surprised to see Spence already there, his badge in his pocket. She didn't see his sidearm, so went upstairs too the master bedroom, where the safe was already open, and placed her weapon inside, closed and locked the door.

Entering the living room, again, she took his outstretched hand, glad that he'd come to readily accept that touching her was not only allowed but anticipated, she took it and pulled body closer too his, her head resting on his shoulder.

The drive to Bennington was tense, and the closer they were too arriving, Spence became more and more agitated. She could see that he was nervous about her reaction to his mom, but knew that he was even more nervous about the adverse reaction his mom may have. She wished she could reassure him, but knew that until he'd seen the results for himself, that Spencer Reid was going to be as hardheaded as every other male she'd ever known.

The hospital wasn't what she expected. It was two stories, and from the side they'd drove in on, looked to have about fifty rooms on the first floor alone. She got out, and met him in front, grabbing his hand as she again laid her head on his shoulder. When she felt his shoulder's slump, she sighed and turned, and wrapped her arms around him, and pulled him forward, so he was leaning directly upon her.

He was slightly heavier than she anticipated, but she knew she could easily shoulder his weight, as she whispered sweet nothings too him.

"Thanks JJ," he said softly a few minutes later, "Let's go before I lose my nerve."

She smiled at him, her eyes meeting his.

"There's one more thing you need to know before you meet my mom," he said just before they made it to the front door. She looked at him, and could see a slight blush on face.

"As you know, she's a paranoid schizophrenic. One of her paranoid delusions involves government officials spying on her. She knows that I'm in the FBI, and on some days that's enough for her to hate me. So, if for any reason she starts calling me a government pig, I need you too not say anything, because she's in a delusion."

JJ nodded, not bothering to mention the irony in the situation. She just grabbed his hand, and said, "Come on, Doctor Reid."

He smiled and pressed in a five number combination, which caused a sound to chime inside.

"Spencer Reid," a voice came over the intercom to their right.

"Yes, plus one," Spence said immediately, "we're here to see my mother, Diana Reid."

"Very well, Doctor Reid," the voice said, "You'll need to sign in at admitting before we can allow you back."

"Thank you," he said, as an alarm came from the door, and Spence pulled the door open.

"Every family is assigned a five-number combination that triggers a command on a central computer. That command alerts the on-duty nurse, and triggers your specific file which shows the patient you are here to see, and whether or not that patient is allowed visitors on the given day. That we got in means that it's probably a good day. But," he told her, "It can turn into a bad one quickly."

JJ nodded.

"Doctor Reid," a man said, "Are you here to see your mother?"

"I am, Doctor Thompson. How is she?"

"Your mother is doing well. She's been responding well to her medication, so we haven't had to increase it in a while. She'll be thrilled to see you."

"Thank you, Doctor. This is my colleague, and recently my girlfriend Jennifer Jareau. I've written about her to mom, so I was hoping that I could introduce them."

"We'll need to see how she reacts, but I don't see a problem in trying, Doctor Reid."

"Thank you," Spence said happily. "Is she in the common area, or in her room?"

"She's been cooped in her room for the past couple of days, she was recovering from the flu last week and her body is having a problem adjusting. It's nothing to be concerned about, but I'm sure that seeing you will raise her spirits."

"Thank you," Spence said again. JJ smiled as he held his head up, and moved quickly.

"Are you ready for this," he asked one last time before knocking. She nodded.

"Enter," a strong, steady voice came from the other side of the door. Spence took a deep breath, and turned the knob.

"Spencer!" Diana's voice shouted as soon as the young genius entered his mom's room. "Come in."

"Hey mom," Spence said moving over to his mom, and reaching down. She had never seen him move with such precision, so sure of what he was doing as he wrapped his arms around his bedridden mother.

"And who is this, Spencer?"

"Mom, this is my girlfriend, Jennifer. I wrote about her in my letters to you. She collected butterflies as a child."

"Oh yes," Diana said, "it's very good to meet you, Jennifer. Spencer has led me to believe you are a member of his round table?"

"Yes ma'am," JJ said. "I've worked with him for year now. It's good to meet you too, Mrs. Reid."

"Spencer," her mom said, "How long have you been dating this fair maiden?"

"Officially, about thirteen hours now, mom."

JJ smiled, another tear coming to her eye as she watched the mother and son catch up.

"You're not eating enough dear, are you still drinking too much coffee?"

"You don't know the half of it," JJ said smiling. "Our teammates have started to call what he drinks coffee-flavored sugar."

Diana looked at her, and JJ nervously waited for the woman to acknowledge her.

"I've always told him that he drinks too much of that. So, Jennifer, where did you go to college?"

"I went to Penn State University," she said. "I majored in communication science."

"And where are you from, dear?"

"North Versailles, Pennsylvania. It's a suburb of Pittsburgh. As a matter of fact, Spence and I were there just last week."

"What does she mean by that, Spencer?" Diana's mood shifted suddenly. JJ's eyes widened and she looked at Spence, who looked resigned.

"It was an unplanned detour, mom," he said. "I was planning on coming by myself to see you, but JJ ended up in the hospital, and as she's my friend, I stayed with her while she recovered."

"Okay," her mood returned to as it had been before. JJ looked confused for a second, but Spence just shook his head a bit, not enough for his mom to notice.

They talked well into the afternoon, about anything and everything under the sun. JJ learned that, at one point, Diana Reid had been a professor of fifteenth century literature, and that William Reid, Spence's father, was a tenured lawyer with his own letterhead.

Then she saw first hand, a volatile shift in the woman's personality. It was subtle, but the more Spence talked about JJ, Diana's eyes would narrow just a bit more. His hand never left hers, though, JJ noticed. She swore she could feel the support he was siphoning off from her, as she felt him return it three-fold.

Four hours later, Doctor Thompson came in with a tray of pills, and told Spence that the two of them had to leave. She saw his shoulders fall as his mom reached around and gave him a hug.

"I'll be back to see you tomorrow, mom. I love you."

"I love you too, Spencer. You make me proud."

He smiled, but JJ could tell, the pride in his eyes didn't mask the pain.

Diana then stood, walked over to her and wrapped her in a slight hug.

"Thank you for being there for my son, Jennifer. It's an honor to meet you."

"It's an honor to meet you too, Mrs. Reid. Is it alright if I come with Spence tomorrow, to see you?"

"I would be delighted!" Diana said, hugging her one final time.

They moved to the door, as Doctor Thompson was having her take her pills, as Spence waved goodbye to his mom; tears flowing down his face. JJ wanted to cry at the dejection on her young genius' face.

They walked hand-in-hand out of the hospital, Spence quiet the whole way through. She sighed as they stepped into the Las Vegas heat.

"Spence?" she asked, calling his attention. He looked at her, and it broke her heart to see the tears silently streaking down his face.

"Was this a good visit, or a bad one?" she asked, locking her gaze to his. He wiped the tears from his eyes and said, "It was one of the better ones I've had. Usually," he sighed, "Usually she can't keep it together as well as she did today. I'm not sure if it was your presence that helped hold her attention, but I'm thankful for it all the same, JJ."

She smiled, her heart leaping at the admission. His heart was still pained, but at least she could help it heal. That small mercy, she knew, would help her to teach him that everything was going to be all right; even if he didn't think so.

Their trip to the super market was over extremely quickly. Neither felt the need to take their time. As they arrived back to the Reid estate, Spence looked at her and smiled, a genuine smile, which filled her with an unexpected glee.

"JJ," he said, breaking the quiet that moved in since they'd entered the house. They were in the oft unused kitchen, moving about like they had so many times on their cases.

"Yes Spence," she said, putting the knife down she'd used to dice some tomatoes for the salad she was making.

"I really appreciate what you've done for me. I know that mom scared you today, I caught her breaks, and tried to talk her through them, but all the same it could have ended a lot worse than it did."

She sighed, wondering when he'd get it through his thick skull that she cared about him, and that she'd help him through this regardless of whether or not they were dating.

"You are important to me, Spencer Reid. You have been my best friend, you are my boyfriend, and you may be something more, someday. I'd have helped you, regardless, before we dated. Now? Now, you'd have to pry me away with the Jaws of Life."

He nodded, as they took their plates of food into the living room, ate in comfortable silence.

"Do we have any plans for the rest of the day?" she asked a few minutes after settling their stomachs. He shook his head. "No, well at least I don't. If you want to go somewhere, I'd be more than open to it."

She shook her head, and leaned backwards. She grabbed his arm, and placed it around her shoulder, non-verbally letting him know it was okay to touch her. She so wanted to bed him, wanted to make him hers.

Forever…

But, she knew, his mind would never accept moving so quickly. He'd shut down, afraid that he was in a schizophrenic break. They'd have to move at his pace, which for once, wasn't a frightening concept.

They talked about nothing, and everything. JJ told him her hopes for the future, about wanting a family someday. She knew that he'd known about the nightmares she'd been having, and knew that he would always be there to listen to her, should she but ask.

"Spence," she said.

"Yeah JJ?" he asked, turning to her, his eyes glazing over as he looked at the pain suddenly etched onto her glorious face.

"Promise me that you're going to be careful, that you won't… that we won't end up like Monica and the others, alone with no one to miss them? Please," she begged. "I- I couldn't stand the thought of l-losing you after what we-we've gained."

"I wish more than anything that I could, JJ. There isn't a day that goes by that I'm not thankful you're in my life. I'm so thankful that you accept me. That you would deign to date me, considering what you know of my family and genetics, proves beyond rhyme or reason that your heart is as open as I've always expected. But, you know as well as I do that our line of work is almost impossible to predict.

I never…" he paused, wincing. "I never expected to lose our teammates, never thought I would miss Monica's haughty attitude towards genius Doctor Spencer Reid, or that I would yearn for Abraham and Mark to teach me about the wonder's I've missed in life. I hate that our jobs could cost us so much, JJ. But, I know beyond all measure, beyond all rhyme or reason, without any doubt, that if something were to happen and I lost you, then I would be no better off than my mom. I can't remember a time I've felt more complete.

I'll always miss our teammates. I'll always regret that they died, and that we lived. But, I know with absolute certainty, that I cannot, I will not, live without you."

JJ's eyes were wide, and she didn't bother wiping the tears that his words caused. To know that she held his heart, fragile as it were, gave her a feeling of power that she'd never expected. To know, beyond measure, that he reciprocated the feelings that lay just beyond her surface, filled her with glee she never expected.

To know, however, that their happiness came about because of the tragic leanings of a psychopath, made her sick. She promised herself, she would never forget, never allow her feelings for her young genius to dissipate. She would not let her team, her family, be forgotten. Not now, not ever.

The pain, she resolved, would always be there, if that meant that her love for her young genius would never tarnish.

As she fell asleep, straddling her young genius with her ear pressed against his chest as she had the night before, she silently thanked her lost family for guiding them along this path. She begged their forgiveness, for finding happiness through the tragedy, but promised them that her memories of them would live forever.

_"We all know pain doesn't exist without some coexisting depression. – Jerry Hall"_

"_Achievement of your happiness is the only moral purpose of your life, and that happiness, not pain or mindless self-indulgence, is the proof of your moral integrity, since it is the proof and the result of your loyalty to the achievement of your values. – Ayn Rand"_


	9. Chapter Eight: Eyes

_CHAPTER EIGHT: Eyes_

"_Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other's eyes for an instant? – Henry David Thoreau"_

It was such an amazing, yet frightening, event. It was their third visit with Diana Reid, the third day of their trip to Las Vegas, and she'd never been more shocked in her life.

The day had started off so well. She had awoken in her boyfriends arms, laying side-by-side on the queen-sized bed in the upstairs master bedroom. They'd fixed breakfast, together, and then separated to their separate bathrooms though, JJ admitted, she'd have preferred to share.

When they'd arrived this morning, Spence's mom had welcomed them with open arms, a large photo album on her lap. JJ had sat beside her young genius' equally clever mother, and started to flip through the book as Diana explained every little detail she could remember of the events in question.

Then, JJ admitted to herself, she made a mistake. She reached forward, touching the picture of a twelve year old Spencer Reid, dressed in a cap and gown, holding his first diploma.

And in that instant; the warm, friendly mother was gone.

"Who are you, and what are you doing in my room," the harsh voice beside her spat out. JJ's eyes widened and she jumped away, as Spencer moved.

"Mom," her young genius moved.

"Oh, it's my worthless traitor of a child! What do you want, Spencer, and who is this harlot you've brought?"

She flinched, though she remembered that Spence had warned this could happen. She hadn't wanted to see it. She hadn't wanted Spence to have to experience it. She watched, as his shoulders tightened, and he said, "Mother, this is Jennifer Jareau. I wanted to introduce you, because we're dating."

She hadn't wanted to move, shocked that he'd used her full name with such despondency.

"Oh, Jennifer is it," the woman sitting before her spat, none of the warmth she'd once been welcomed with in the mother's voice. JJ couldn't believe that, in less than five minutes that same woman was sitting beside her, showing her pictures of her son.

"The same Jennifer you work with? Another government pig! How dare you bring that harlot anywhere near me, Spencer William Reid! Why would I care that you're dating, that you're ruining your life even more than you've ruined mine! I told you the last time I saw you that I wanted you nowhere near me, you traitor! And you," she spat, her eyes reflecting an anger that JJ had never expected, "My pictures are none of yours, or the governments, business!"

The door behind them cracked open, and two orderlies approached as Doctor Thompson entered.

"Diana," the man said softly, "it's Doctor Thompson."

"I know who you are, you piece of shit! I want out of this hellhole, and I want my traitorous son to burn in hell!"

Doctor Thompson sighed, and too her shock he said, "I had no idea he was here, Diana. Do you want these nice orderlies to get him out of here?"

"Yes!" the woman said, "At last, someone who understands! Get that traytour out of my sight!"

"Alright, Diana," the doctor said, jerking his head towards Spencer and she. The orderlies approached them, their shoulders straight, though she could see the apologies on their faces. She grabbed her boyfriend's hand, and turned with him, as they both stepped out of the doorway. Doctor Thompson came out a few minutes later, his face indicating that he was sorry that had happened.

"I'm sorry Doctor Reid," Doctor Thompson said quietly so that his mom couldn't hear. "Your mom has reverted to another of her personalities, and it seems to be a prolonged shift because her medication is not working to revert. You know that what she just said, that isn't really what your mother thinks?"

"Isn't it," Spencer said, the tears in his voice breaking her heart. JJ didn't know what to do, so choose to place her hand upon his arm and rub.

She could feel how tense he was, and knew that it was just his way of dealing with the hurt that his mom's condition caused him.

"No, Spencer," the man said firmly, "That is not how your mother really feels about you. You can see it in the way she acts when she receives your daily letters. She so looks forward to your next adventure, that she reads them to us. The majority of the time, your mom is the woman you sat with yesterday, and the day before. That is not your mother. That," he said pointing too the room where Diana Reid was still yelling hateful, and hurtful things, "is not your mother."

"I think this is my fault, Doctor Thompson," she said softly. The Doctor shot her a look, which she winced at. "Mrs. Reid was showing me a picture of Spence's high-school graduation, and I touched it. As soon as…" she saw the understanding look in his eyes, "I'm so sorry Spence."

"It isn't your fault," Spence said just seconds before Doctor Thompson reiterated.

"As hard as this situation is," Doctor Thompson continued, "As much as it hurts," he said, "the smallest thing will set Diana off. Today it was the pictures. Tomorrow, it could be saying jell-o, or the color green, or any combination that you can think of. And there's no way to tell what it's going to be until it happens. You know as well as I do, Spencer," he said turning to look at her young genius, whose tears were again leaking, "that there is no sure way to prevent a schizophrenic break. Schizophrenia is a brain disorder, so until we can find a sure-fire way to stop the cause, the effects are not going to be understood."

Spence nodded, his hand clutching hers. His body was trembling from unshed tears, and for a moment JJ wondered why he let himself go through this pain.

"I'm sorry Doctor Reid," he said, "But I think it would be best for you and Agent Jareau to leave. You can try to see your mother again tomorrow, but the fact that she isn't responding to her medicine means you may not be able too."

Spence nodded, and stuffed his hands into the pockets on his sweater vest. She winced, knowing that he only did that when he was trying to block out his feelings. She pushed her arm through where his arm and his body met, and laid her head against him.

"Spence," she said, "let me have the keys, you're in no condition to drive honey."

He silently acknowledged her, handing the keys off to her with shaking hands. They were buzzed out without protest, the nurse looking at them with a knowing expression.

Stepping out into the Las Vegas sun, JJ wrapped her arms around her young genius, and softly run her right hand through his hair, as she said, "I'm sorry."

Once she began, the words seemed to flow from her lips. "This was my fault, Spence. You warned me it could happen, and I wasn't prepared. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

He cut her off, placing his finger too her lips, as he said, "This is in no way your fault, JJ. I've touched her album before, and she hasn't responded like she did today. I hate that it happened, I hate that I can't see my mom today, and may not be able too tomorrow, because of this, but I can't, I don't blame you."

She nodded, and leaned into his hand, as Spence kissed her forehead.

"I'm so sorry my mom said those things to you, JJ," he whispered.

"Don't be, Spence," she said, "You gave me ample warning about her mood changes, and so I was somewhat prepared for what happened. It was frightening," she admitted, "but not unexpected. I'm just sorry you are going through this pain, I wish I knew of a way to stop the hurt you're feeling."

Spence nodded, and said, "You're doing all you can, JJ. Just being with you… I've never had anyone with me when mom's had a schizophrenic break before. Even when the team is in town and I'm able to visit, if she does have one, I've just told the team that she's not feeling well. I appreciate you being here, so much so, JJ. This is the first, and only, time I've not felt totally alone after what just happened."

She gave him a soft smile, her face cupping his cheek, as she said, "I'm glad that I'm able to help, Spence."

The next couple of days after Diana's schizophrenic break were difficult, all things considered, and JJ had no idea what she was supposed to do. Spence hadn't locked himself away, or even pushed her to leave him alone, but she could tell that, especially after they'd returned only to get refused at the door, he was barely holding onto his sanity by a thread. Needless to say, he wasn't the best company to be around. He'd become moody, depressed, and though she'd seen him smile, and even though he'd kissed her more than once, she could tell that the situation with Mrs. Reid was hurting him in ways she couldn't fathom.

Doctor Thompson had been right, ultimately. When they arrived they day after, Spence had keyed in his personal identification code, Doctor Thompson had greeted them and said that Diana wasn't up for visitors at the moment. Her young genius' shoulders had slumped, and he'd asked, in a rasp, whether or not Doctor Thompson would deliver a message to his mother when she came out of her delusional state.

Doctor Thompson agreed, telling Spence that if his mom hadn't come around by the time they'd left, he'd deliver the message Spence had given him.

She nearly cried when Spence rasped out, "I love you, mom."

When Friday dawned, she woke to a grimace of pain, and a gasp for breath.

"_No, mommy, please don't lock me away again! I'm not a government spy, I'm your son! I'm Spencer, Mommy! Please open the door; I'm so sorry I'm a disappointment to you."_

JJ froze, a chill travelling up her spine as she felt her young genius begging his mom, his cries resounding with her soul. She couldn't imagine Spence, her Spence, feeling so helpless. She couldn't imagine a mother, even one in a schizophrenic break, locking a child away, afraid of those sworn to help you.

She sighed. Turning to her perspiring boyfriend, JJ embraced his flailing body, and did the only thing she could think of.

She hummed. _Scheherazade_

He calmed soon thereafter, his limbs going limp as he listened to her alto voice. She closed her eyes, and instantly images she'd envisioned days before, when Spence had told her the story behind the music, came unbidden. She could almost remember, as she lured her young genius to Morpheus' embrace, the sultry violin that represented the woman telling the stories of one-thousand and one nights.

She didn't remember when she fell asleep again, only that when she next awoke, Spence was still firmly ensconced in her arms. Only now, he was facing her, and his arm had wrapped around her, and was holding her snugly against him. She could feel the evidence of his arousal.

Softly, she slid nails down his cheek, smiling at the contented look on his face and cursing the world that would soon bid him good morrow. She watched him, content just to be in his embrace. And gradually, as if he knew she was watching, his eyes opened.

There was an instant between them, the look in his eyes sending her heart racing as his left hand moved up and cupped her cheek. She hoped the moment between them would last, as she placed her hand atop his, and leaned in, her eyes locked on his. Her heart still racing, she inched closer; her breasts firm against him, as she kissed him.

He responded, the movement he made natural yet hesitant. He slid his hands to her hips, and urged her body to move with his, as he moved to lie on his back. She did, straddling him, their lips never parting.

She could feel the heat between them, feel the evidence of his arousal pressing against her core, and knew that she could get lost in this feeling. His hand slid to up her sides, to her shoulders, and down her arms; clasping her hands to his. She pushed their hands above their heads, and lay down atop him, sliding their cores together; the friction between their clothed bodies a torturous barrier.

"JJ," he whispered so softly that she felt her heart would stop. She opened her eyes again, hoping that the past five minutes hadn't been a dream. "My beautiful JJ," he said again, "any man would give the world to wake with you in his arms. What did I do to deserve such a wondrous gift?"

"You were you, Spence," she sighed. "You didn't do anything; you were just the caring, wonderful man that was there for me after… after Boston. You offered your time, your compassion, your ear. You put yourself into uncomfortable situations, and allowed me to share in yours, even though I had no right to expect it. You're open, honest, and I feel that I'm getting to know you more each and every time I talk to you."

He smiled, running his fingers over her jaw line. She could feel a searing heat where his fingers ran, and arched into his touch, wanting nothing to spoil the intimacy of the moment. He drew her closer, and when their lips met for the second time that morning, she could feel a proverbial jolt run up her spine.

And yet, he didn't push the boundaries. His hands didn't roam to those places that would make her moan, didn't rip her shirt off to access the contents beneath. He was content to simply hold her, to kiss her, for now. And, she realized that while she craved the intimacy, craved the passion, she was just as willing to be held and to be kissed. As long as he was willing to work to stretch his intimacy barriers, she was willing to wait for the day he ripped her clothes off of her in a flight of passion. The thought of that day made her smile.

They didn't fall asleep, but neither did they move to leave the bed. Comfortable with the moment neither wanted to ruin.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. She looked at him, about to ask what he'd meant, when his thumb trailed over a split in her lip.

"It wasn't your fault," she told him immediately, "you were having a nightmare. You calmed down, and it was only the one time. I promise Spence, I know there wasn't any maliciousness behind what happened; it was just an accident."

He nodded.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked tentatively. Spence shook his head, "Not now, please. It's too raw, at the moment. Can we talk about it some other time?"

She agreed.

"So, are we going to try and see your mom today?"

He winced, but nodded, his eyes haunted; the horrors of the night easily still in his mind. She could read his eyes well enough to know that he'd ran the probabilities that his mom would still be in her delusional state.

"Spence?" she asked, not wanting him to shut her out.

"JJ," he said taking a deep breath. "If… if my mom can't be seen today it's going to be a while before I can see her again, since we're leaving this afternoon."

She nodded, running her hand along her young genius' arm. She could see the pain he was in, could sense the desperation in his voice.

"Spence," she sighed. "I wish I could understand what you're feeling, honey. But, I know that I can't and that is so upsetting to me."

He kissed her again, gently. "I know, and I'm sorry I'm such a mess at the moment, JJ. I know that I'm placing a lot of pressure on your shoulders. I can't put into words how much your support means."

She smiled, her hand raking through her golden locks; content to lie in bed beside her young genius.

They lay together for twenty minutes, content too revel in the intimacy of the moment. Neither of them had any aspirations for the day ahead. After showering, JJ met her boyfriend downstairs, where he had prepared a large meal, using the last of their breakfast supplies. She could smell the delicious flavors as soon as she entered.

They ate silently, content in the impression that surrounded them. As one, they moved their plates to the kitchen, where Spence quickly did the dishes, and placed them on the counter. They grabbed their sidearms from the safe, placing them into their holsters, and grabbed their ready bags.

Spence left to turn off the circuit breaker, while she made sure all the doors and windows were locked, and a few minutes they exited the driveway.

Spence was again silent as he drove them too Bennington Sanitarium, and silent as he entered his personal identification code. A static came over the intercom, and the same voice as before said, "Spencer Reid."

"I was hoping to see my mother since we're going back to Virginia today. Is she well enough for a visit?"

"I'm sorry Doctor Reid, your mother is still in her delusional state," the nurses voice said. She could see Spence's shoulders fall, and wanted to curse the pain his mother's condition was causing him. She didn't, choosing instead to again grab his hand, and push the support he needed towards him.

"Doctor Reid," the nurse again said. JJ noticed that Spence and she had been standing there for a few minutes.

"He's just coming to terms with his mother's condition," she said a second after realizing that Spence wasn't going to answer, "This is Jennifer Jareau, his girlfriend."

"Thank you, Ms. Jareau," the nurse said a second later, "I sincerely apologize, Doctor Reid, I wish there was a way to help you."

"You're doing all you can," Spence said, his eyes clearing. "Can you please pass a message onto my mother when she recovers? Please tell her that I love her. Also," he said, "I am leaving a letter for her in the box, as well as a book that she may like. If you would make sure she gets them, it would be most appreciated."

"We will, Doctor Reid," the nurse said. Spence turned away from the intercom a minute later. She silently took the keys he offered her, and though she hated the situation, was glad for the trust he'd just placed in her.

"Spence," she said softly, "We can postpone leaving for a couple of days, if you want."

"It won't make a difference, JJ," he said softly, "breaks such as these can last for unknown periods of time. There's no way to tell when, or even if, the break will end."

"I'm sorry honey," she said softly.

"There's nothing that can be done," he said, though she could see him forcing back the tears.

Minutes passed in relative silence, as JJ ran her hand over her boyfriend's arm, attempting to sooth his razzed nerves. When she felt his body loosen, she turned the ignition, and revved the engine; pulling out of the parking lot a few minutes later.

"JJ," Spence said a few minutes into their trip.

"Yes Spence?" she questioned.

"Do you think that my mom really feels that way?"

"No," she said firmly. "From what I've seen, Diana Reid thinks the world of you. I think that's why her delusions are so powerfully negative to you, because your mom loves you just as powerfully."

She heard a sob escape him.

When they arrived too the airport, where their flight was scheduled in three hours, JJ slid across the car and kissed him before she said, "Next time we have vacation time, we'll come here again and see how that visit goes, alright?"

He nodded, and she could see could see the relief that overcame him at her words. She wondered if he was thankful that she wasn't going to abandon him after learning how badly his mother's condition could be.

They checked through baggage, processed through the secure area, and loaded the plane, again thankful that they only really had their ready bags. The flight itself didn't take long to get underway.

When the plane began taxiing down the airway, JJ could feel Spence's hand tighten on hers. She looked at him, sharing a soft smile with him, glad that he was growing more comfortable as the days went on.

"JJ," he said as the plane lifted off. She looked at him.

"Yes Spence," she said.

"I know that the last couple of days weren't all that I promised, so I just wanted to thank you for accepting everything you've seen. You have no idea how much it means to me that you've agreed to share your life with me. I don't know that I could've made it through the past couple of days without you at my side."

"I know that you usually suffer through this alone, Spence," she said softly. "You're a lot stronger than I could've ever imagined. I understand why you've hesitated in telling the others about your mom, but you may want to talk to the team about it. It may help you to talk to Hotch, or someone that really understands all the things I don't about Schizophrenia."

He nodded, "I'll think about doing that," Spence said. She nodded, understanding his hesitancy. He wasn't exactly the most sharing person she knew. He still hadn't touched her in an intimate way, though she knew that he responded to her; proof that he had feelings for her.

"Spence," she began after a few minutes of silence, "Can I ask you why your mom called you a traitor?"

He flinched, and she almost regretted bringing the subject up.

"I-" he began with a hiccup, "Just after I turned e-eighteen, I called Bennington. I told them that mom was a p-paranoid schizophrenic, and that she was becoming dangerous to herself, as well as others around her. A week later, two orderlies showed up at our door. M-mom was sitting inside of her bedroom, at this point she hadn't left the house for two weeks, and hadn't left the bed in three days, because she was sure that the government had cameras in our bathroom, and was spying on her. She looked up when I showed them in and said, 'Who are these people Spencer? They need to get out of here'

I told her that they were there to help her, and she said, 'I don't need help, Spencer. I need a son that cares about me.'

The orderlies' a-a-approached mom and each took a side. As soon as she realized they were serious, she started begging me to tell them it was a-a-all a mistake. 'Please Spencer, don't do this. I'm your mother! Don't let them take me away, Spencer!'

When they injected her that was the first time I ever remember seeing D-Diana emerge from inside of mom.

She cursed me, even as the medicine took effect of her senses. She told me that the worst mistake she'd ever made was not killing herself when she found out t-that she was p-p-pregnant."

She could hear his sobs begin, and immediately rubbed soothing circles on his back. "That night was the f-f-first time mom tried to kill herself. They told me that she'd attempted suicide by using a plastic spoon to slice into her wrist. It's been so long," he paused, "It's been so long since I saw D-D-Diana that I'd fooled myself into believing she was gone from mom's psyche."

JJ paused, the pain in her young genius' voice causing her untold pain. She continued rubbing concentric circles on his back, as he leaned his face onto her shoulder.

Neither could tell for sure when the quiet sobs turned into labored breathing, though she could feel Spence's heavy breath on her neck. Unlike the last time they were on a plane, she held him while he slept from an overly emotional week. She wondered, briefly, if it was a good sign that he so easily accepted her presence in his life.

He was always willing to touch her, and the irrational part of her mind was so afraid that he was going to blame her for his mom's drastic turn, and end things between them; determined to not let that happen, JJ contented herself with just holding her young genius.

She fell asleep soon after; her head atop his own.

When they were awoken; hours later, JJ wasn't surprised to find the plane was nearing its final destination. She instinctively looked at her watch, and noticed that it was later in the evening then when they'd left Las Vegas, and that wasn't counting in the three hours change in time that accompanied moving from East to West.

"Hey honey," she whispered as she caught him staring. He smiled.

"That's the fourth time you've called me that," he said softly. She smiled. "I hadn't even realized I'd been calling you that, Spence. Do you have a problem with it?"

"No," he assured her, "but I like it when you call me Spence too. You're the only one who does."

Her eyes widened, "Surely someone else calls you that?"

"No," he said again, "Mom calls me Spencer, as you know. Morgan has always called me "Pretty boy", and Garcia calls me Junior G-Man, which doesn't make since because I don't have a G in my name. Everyone else calls me Reid, or Doctor Reid, depending on the situation. Truth be told, I like you calling me Spence, JJ."

She smiled.

"That street can go both ways, Spence," she said softly. "You're allowed to give me a term of endearment, if you want. My mom and dad call me Jenny, or Jennifer, depending on the situation."

"I didn't want to presume," he told her. "You've already given me so much that I didn't want to press my luck."

She nodded, figuring it was something like that. She smiled, kissed him, and said, "Alright. I understand."

They debarked a few minutes after touchdown, and walked to where Spence and she had parked his car the week before. Once he'd turned the ignition, Spence smiled and said, "Do you need to go home hastily, or would you like to spend more time together?"

"How about we do both," she said silkily. He looked at her, confusion on his face, as she said, "Drop me off at my apartment, and go home, take a bath and put on something casually formal. I'll pick you up in about two hours, I just really need a shower and to put a new change of clothes on."

He nodded, turning into her apartment complex about ten minutes. She could see his confusion, as he pulled out of the parking lot after giving her a searing kiss. She smiled breathily, and then walked too her front door, slid the key in and pushed the door open. She walked to her safe, entered her combination, and placed her gun and badge inside, walked too her bathroom, and took a scalding shower.

IT was time to teach her boyfriend the benefits of a steady relationship.

She finished her shower after thirty glorious minutes, her hair clean, dried and combed, and walked, nude, to her bedroom. She walked in, automatically going to her underwear drawer, and picked out a black lingerie set she hoped he'd see tonight, but knew that he probably wouldn't… the hazards of dating a socially awkward genius.

Once she had those on, she found a pair of silk stockings, and rolled them up her legs. She walked to her closet, and smiled, pulling out a stunning black dress, and imagined Spence's reaction to her. She shimmied into her dress, loving the feel of the fabric against her ripe skin, then lightly sprayed her favorite perfume into the air, and walked through the mist, before completing the ensemble with her black heels, which accented her legs.

She could feel the tingle in her skin as she walked out of her house, anticipating every step.

She drove slowly, her window down so that the scent of her perfume wouldn't overpower the air in her car, and arrived too her boyfriend's apartment after fifteen minutes. She buzzed up, and asked him to let her in, not surprised when the door buzzed open a few minutes later, she quickly made her way to his room, hoping that he would appreciate the surprise.

She knocked lightly when she arrived outside his door, and held her breath when it opened slowly. She gasped, her breath caught, as she looked at him, as his had when he'd laid eyes on her. She could see the pain in his eyes, knew that it would never completely leave them. But, too have him look at her the way he was at this moment, she'd take his pain-filled eyes over the most handsome of men; because his eyes spoke volumes.

He had on a black, three-piece suit that looked like it was tailor made for him, instead of the sweater vest she'd expected when she'd asked him to dress casually formal.

"JJ," he whispered, "You look resplendent."

She blushed, but knew that she needed to respond. "You look absolutely ravishing, Spence. I had no idea you even had something like this."

He turned maroon, but nodded, "It was a personal present for when I'd graduated the academy. Then, I learned that the BAU didn't actually require formal attire. It's hung in the back of my closet, waiting for a special occasion. I could think of nothing more," he whispered.

She smiled, and as he offered her the nook of his arm, she entwined her arm with his.

Thirty minutes later saw them outside of a building that JJ was sure Spence had never even heard of, let alone been to. He looked distinctly uncomfortable in the ambiance of the nightclub she'd taken him too. She knew that she was pushing him, knew that her actions could irrevocably lead to him cutting all contact with her. She prayed that, instead, it would show Spence that while she was a woman, he was her man.

They cued in the line, about halfway too the front door of the DC dance clubs as she ran the tips of her fingers up his finely clothed arm. She felt him shudder, a feeling of elation passing over her at causing such a reaction in her young genius. She smiled, glad that the club was open at all.

When they finally managed to get to the head of the line, she sighed as Spence was carded and regarded with a speculative look. She heard the couple behind them laugh at her boyfriend's misfortune, and nearly turned with a scathing retort. His hand on her wrist caught her attention, and she calmed when he smiled. The bouncer seemed to finish his examination of Spence's card, and lowered the rope for them, as he told them to have a nice night.

She smiled as they entered the dance club-slash-restaurant, her hand clasping his as Spence fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Spence," she said softly. He looked at her.

"I only come here about once a month, and it's mostly to unwind. I think that we could both use a little stress relief, but if you're still uncomfortable in thirty minutes, we'll leave no protest."

He nodded, and she smiled. "Thanks Spence, I'm sorry if I'm pushing you too far."

"JJ," he responded with a soft smile, "I'm actually thankful that you're here. True, this isn't my usual setting, but I'm willing to try anything for you. That's what relationships are, aren't they?"

She nodded, "Yeah, you're right Spence."

Despite his reassurance, though, JJ was having a hard time getting him on the dance floor. They'd been here for fifteen minutes already, and she had given hints, eyed the floor, and watched the other couples dancing, but nothing. It was like he was oblivious. She knew that the biggest part of her plan was getting Spence close to her, so she went with her backup plan.

"Spence," she said sweetly, "I really want to dance with you, honey. Please?"

He groaned, but stood and held his hand too her. She smiled, and took his hand gently, and led them through the massive crowd that surrounded DJ's booth. It was an eclectic club, which meant that as long as the song in question had a good beat, it was played.

She smiled, getting into the rhythm of the music currently playing, moving her hips against her boyfriend, who was moving jerkily, unsure of what he was supposed to do. She smiled, and grabbed his arms, placing his hands on her waist, as she grinded against him, music blasting through the speakers. She could sense his hesitation, unsure of him self, and while she wished he felt confidence, she knew that this could be something that they shared.

She turned, suddenly, grinding her front against him now, as he gulped, his eyes wide. She smiled saucily at him, and ran her right hand too the back of his head, pulling his head down. She placed her lips to his ear and said, "Just move with me, Spence. Don't think, don't react. Just close your eyes and feel. Dancing is all about feeling, all about letting your emotions guide you."

He gulped again, and closed his eyes. She smiled, and took his hands, guiding them lower, off of her hips, to the outline of her hips. She smiled, watching as his eyes shot open. She could feel his arousal for her, and grinned as he paled; his eyes growing large at her response.

She thrust her hips into him, bumping and grinding him. Slowly, though he wasn't perfect with his movements, her boyfriend began feeling the rhythm of the music. She smiled, glad that he was responding so well, long past the initial thirty minutes she'd asked of him.

"JJ," he said his voice hoarse.

"Shush," she whispered, "You don't need to overanalyze this, Spence. There are no expectations, other than to get you used to the fact that I'm your girlfriend, and you're my boyfriend. You're allowed to touch me, intimately, as long as I can reciprocate."

He gulped; his Adam's-apple bobbing as he slowly nodded his head to what she was whispering.

They danced together for hours. When closing time arrived, they were one of three couples still on the floor, the others at the bar or restaurant ordering drinks. She smiled, and took his hand, turning as Spence, wide-eyed, followed her out of the building.

They arrived at her car, and she smiled. She kissed him, and this time she could feel his hesitation disappear, as he reached over and pulled her towards him. The kiss was possessive, demanding, and raw. She could feel Spence's desperation, could feel his need.

She kissed him back.

They arrived back at his apartment, and she tensed, wondering whether the night was over. She could sense his indecision, his doubt.

"JJ," he began. Her breath hitched, wondering if she'd pushed him too far, too fast. "JJ," he began again, "I don't… I don't want this night to end, but…"

And she knew. No, it wasn't too far, but it was close.

"But you're not ready for where this could ultimately end up?"

He nodded. She smiled.

"Spence, I know you're not ready for that type of intimacy, I know that tonight was so far over the top, that you're control is so close to gone; you're afraid. If you want to go inside and hold me while we sleep, I'm more than ready for that. If you want to kiss me all night long, I'm more than ready for that. I'll be ready for the day you throw me onto our bed, and claim me as yours. All I wanted to show you tonight was that it was okay to act on your thoughts and feelings. That it is always okay to touch me, and that I want to touch you too."

"But," he sighed, "But what if- what my touch repulses you, JJ?"

She grinned, "Is that what you're nervous about?"

He nodded.

She smiled, and took his hand, leading him into his dark apartment. The door was pushed open and softly closed behind them. The lights were off, save for a soft lamp that battled the inherent absence of light. She led him to his couch, and pushed him down.

"Spence," she said, "Do you trust me?"

He nodded emphatically. She smiled. "Close your eyes, honey."

He followed her instructions. "Now, don't say anything. Just feel, just react. Let your instincts help me guide you, alright."

She reached down and took his hand, turned it palm up, and kissed his pulse point. His breath hitched at the sensation. JJ then kissed the pulse point of his neck, and lightly guided her hands over his firm chest. She took his other hand, kissed the pulse point, and placed it upon her jaw line. She arched from the touch, drowning in the sensations coursing through her.

Slowly, she lowered his hand, trailing his fingers across the pulse point of her neck, each trail blazing with electricity.

She kissed his lips, her hand releasing her hold on his, running her hands over his chest, and down his sides. She picked up his hand again, and motioning for him to clench all but one of his fingers. That single finger trailed between the valleys of her breast. His breath hitched again, and for the first time, she felt him cup her.

"Spence," she whispered, ecstasy coursing through her. He almost jerked back; afraid he'd offended, but she leaned into his touch, pressing her breast more firmly into his hand. She felt her nipple harden under his ministration, as she slipped her hand to slowly unbutton his shirt.

He gasped as she grinded into him, her lips covering his, as her hair fell over them. She could feel his breath on her neck, as she worked his shirt open. Lightly, tentatively, his hand slipped underneath her dress, working it up as the silky material up and off of her body, his other hand trailing down her leg.

"Spence," she said again, her lips trailing him. She sat upon him, she knew, in only her lingerie. And the evidence of his arousal settled against her core. She so wanted to push the envelope, wanted to strip away the last vestiges of clothing between them.

The raw desire in his eyes made her melt. She felt naked underneath his watchful gaze, not merely almost naked. She noticed him looking her body over, and wondered what he was thinking.

So she asked him.

"I'm committing to memory every minute detail of your perfect body, Jennifer. This is a vision that I want to remember for the rest of my life."

Oh dear God, JJ thought. The possession reflected in him calling her by her given name nearly sent her over the edge. She felt like he was staking a claim within her, taking possession of that part of her, who would only respond to his word, to his voice. The feeling invoked by him uttering her given name, Jennifer, was something she never expected. Sure, her mom had always called her Jennifer, but never with such unmatched passion. Spencer Reid invoked that with a single utterance.

She knew that, no matter what happened, she never wanted Spence to call her Jennifer in disgust, anger, or anything else. It would break her _heart._

"_What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and need. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like. – Saint Augustine"_


	10. Chapter Nine: Evanescence

_A/N: Just so you know, I could not actually find a copy of the FBI Handbook, so I'm taking 1x05: Broken Mirror on faith._

_CHAPTER NINE: Evanescence_

"_When you go through tragedy, you can either let that destroy you and you become bitter and never let it go, or you can let it make you stronger and let it make you grow. And that's what I did. My lyrics are coming from a place that I want people to relate to and feel that they're not alone" – Amy Lee, Evanescence"_

One week later, and Jennifer Jareau could honestly say that her life had managed to somehow survive the events of Boston. She was entwined in the arms of her boyfriend, his right hand cupping her right breast as he slept; his breath on the back of her neck, his morning arousal poking into her core.

"Jennifer," he whispered, his fingers rubbing her nipple, erect in his hand. She moaned, arching back into his arousal, wishing not for the first time that there were no barriers between them. When the alarm went off a few minutes later, signaling their need to awaken and get ready for their first day back to work, she groaned in a different kind of frustration.

"JJ," he said a few minutes later. Jennifer, he'd told her, is reserved for just them. JJ is who she has to be when they're readying for work. She reached back, turning her neck to meet his lips with hers.

"JJ," he said again, this time hollow of breath. "You're radiant."

She said nothing, just smiled; taking in good faith what had become a morning ritual, before walking to her ready bag; clothes cleaned and packed the night before. She looked at Spence's chest of drawer, where she'd placed a Silver Eagle that her father had given her so long ago.

"I don't want to go to work today," Spence groaned. She smiled; wondering if that was a side effect of having a social life, or laziness from not having to work for so long.

"I don't either," she surprised herself by admitting as such. "But, someone has to catch the UNSUB's."

He nodded, resigned, and slipped out of bed. She moved to watch him, her eyes on his semi-nude form. She could honestly say she knew the contours of his body better than anyone. He'd confided in her, that he'd never seen a woman's nude form before her, and that until he'd met her, he'd never even thought of losing his virginity.

And, she'd been as honest, telling him that she'd lost her virginity in high school, a meaningless bit of teenage rebellion that she'd regretted each day since, but that she had never ached for someone's touch as much as she had his. His analytical mind had accepted that fact, something she was hopeful for, and told her that he'd be honored if she were the first woman to see him. She had nodded dumbly, walked forward, and slowly lowered his jeans; locking her gaze with his and looking for the slightest hesitancy, before sweeping said gaze over his nude form. Since that night, he'd always slept in a pair of boxers, and nothing else, his hands entwined with hers.

She watched him gather his clothes, and walk to the bathroom. He returned twenty minutes later, his clothes thrown haphazardly on, and a pair of mismatched socks adorning his feet. She smiled, and walked past him.

She showered for thirty minutes, enjoying the fact that his water was even hotter than hers. It was still amazing that they were together, even more so that she had nearly invaded his home, and he hers, and neither were bothered by that notion.

She returned to find that Spence had already chosen a pair of her clothes from the closet, her yellow, button-up shirt and black skirt. She'd noticed over the years that he'd eyed the clothes she wore, and only recently learned that he had mentally recorded the image she projected in each one. He'd also noticed, ironically enough, that she tended to wear this particular outfit at least once a month, always on a Monday, and usually the day after a long night, or after a vacation, whichever.

He then jokingly told her that the outfit projected her hopes for the week, and her disposition towards life at that particular moment, sunny and hopeful for the days to come.

She'd shaken her head, laughing as she thanked him, and dressed. She was surprised to learn that _dressing_ in front of him was as erotic as _undressing_.

They were out the door fifteen minutes later, taking their separate cars incase they needed to leave overnight for a case, since there wasn't any reason to leave one car or the other exposed to the elements. He'd nodded in agreement.

They'd arrived together, and she'd smiled, grabbing his hand. It had taken him quoting, verbatim the page number, and entire paragraph from the code of conduct last night before she'd agreed to even this much intimacy.

He had, enjoying the look on her face as he told her to turn to page 1753. "_Paragraph 191: Fraternization, Subsection E_, Active Field Agents. _While social interaction between two co-workers is frowned upon, it is not the policy of the Federal Bureau of investigations to prohibit active field (Supervisory Special) agents from engaging in relationships. In the event two members of the same team begin such a relationship, however, it is their responsibility to inform their direct superior of the status of said new relationship._"

She had sighed. After years of hearing about the Rossi incident, she'd been hesitant to inform their teammates about their new relationship, more afraid of perceived repercussions than of their rejection too her and Spence's happiness.

They took the elevator too the fifteenth floor, and upon the doors opening noticed that the rest of their fractured team, minus Jason Gideon, were converged in the round table room. She kissed Spence lightly before they separated upon crossing the threshold.

They walked in tandem too the conference that hadn't yet started. Penelope Garcia was sitting in front of Aaron Hotchner, who was smiling lightly as he fingered his wedding ring. Derek Morgan was sitting at the table, looking at Garcia, a soft smile on his face. They entered silently, waving to Derek, who had looked up upon their entering, his hand waving. Garcia turned almost immediately, a smile erupting on her face as she stood up and made her way over and wrapping them in smothering hugs.

"I'm glad you made it," Hotch said as they entered, "I was beginning to think we were the only ones returning. You're not here to resign?" He asked suddenly afraid.

"No," she said, "I'm with you, Hotch. The BAU is my family. That said, we do have something to tell you."

"What can I do for you, JJ?"

"We need to inform you of a change within the teams dynamic," she said. He looked at her and Spence and smiled, "You've finally gotten together?"

She nodded. Hotch smiled, "We were wondering when you would notice, JJ. I'm sure Reid has already told you that there's nothing the bureau can do about your relationship?"

She nodded again. He said, "Personally, I'm happy for you. As your boss, however, I need to warn you not to let your emotions cloud your judgment, or negatively affect the team."

She thanked him, and said, "We were planning to announce it later, but with everyone already here, I thought that we should go ahead and take the opportunity."

Hotch smiled, "Good, I'm happy for the both of you, JJ. I'll need to speak with you both separately later, but I approve."

She nodded and thanked him.

"And just so we're clear, I'm staying too," her boyfriend of two weeks said.

"Good," the Unit Chief said relief on his face. "Please take a seat."

They did, taking to seats that were close together. His hand came to hers under the table, and she wrapped her fingers around his. Spence's thumb rubbed the outside of her hand, as they listened to Hotch begin what he wanted to say.

"It's been three weeks since we last stood in this room, mourning the loss of our colleagues and family. I said then that I wouldn't blame any of you for leaving, and I meant it, but I am happy that you've all decided to return. I've been asked to give each of you psychological evaluations, to see how you're coping with the effects of what happened in Boston, so I'll be scheduling time with each of you over the next week.

But, as you know, with having lost so many of our colleagues, it is going to be difficult to reorganize the team. So, JJ," he said turning to her, "As well as our media liaison, I would like for you to take on the extra duties of press-coordinator."

She felt tears come to her eyes, the thought of taking over the job of one of her sisters all-consuming. "As well as contacting the local media franchises to set up press conferences, I would like for you to give them. I know that you were supposed to have done so anyway, but with Jill having experience, Jason and I felt that she would be best for the job. If you don't think you can, I will understand."

"I can do it," she said immediately. "Jill often gave me advice on how to do the job for…" she paused, "for the day she finally 'got sick of this place and left'. She said that a degree was good, but that experience counted for more, and she was right."

Hotch nodded and turned to Derek. "We also need a new Tactics and Countermeasures trainer for the academy, which is our responsibility to provide, as well as part of our duties. As you know, Andrew and Mark shared these duties. Would you be willing to take over?"

Derek didn't hesitate, nodding. Then their unit chief turned to Spence. "One of the best things about Abraham's areas of expertise was that he could understand the writing styles of our UNSUB's. Reid, as well as your expertise on… well everything, you have the best chance of learning Graphology. Are you willing?"

Spence nodded. He smiled, "I'll be taking over Jason's duties, as I've said. Garcia," he said turning to the exuberant woman, "Monica and Sarah's duties actually lay in your area of expertise. Sarah was our go to for fingerprint analysis, which is mostly computerized, and Monica was our in-field Computer technician. I know that you're against flying, but is there a way you would be able to help us in the field?"

She nodded, "Yeah, I was already thinking about it, actually."

He nodded again. "Alright; hopefully it won't be long until we can start to fill the positions that our friends left, but until then there are still UNSUB's to catch, that said… we have a case. The city of Warwick, Rhode Island has a serial rapist. In the last two weeks the UNSUB has kidnapped and raped three women; Juliet Holmes, Michelle Garson, and Abigail Suede. So far, no one has died, however the violence the UNSUB unleashes on the victim has increased. In the assault against Juliet Holmes, the UNSUB used a condom. In the second, he threw Michelle Garson into a tub full of water and forced her to bathe while he watched. In the most recent assault, he doused Abigail Suede in undiluted bleach. She has chemical burns on fourteen percent of her body. Each forensic countermeasure has ensured that any genetic material the UNSUB left behind was useless to investigators."

She winced, looking at the pictures in the case file in front of her. They looked so much like Jill, red-haired, green-eyed with lithe bodies that they could have passed for her twins. Apparently, she wasn't the only one to notice.

"Damn," Morgan said as he looked at them. Spence, she noticed, hadn't said anything.

"He obviously has a type," her boyfriend said, his voice unemotional. Before, she'd have been angry at his nonchalance, but now that she could read his emotions better, she knew he was trying to keep the case on the three victims, and not a resemblance said victims had to their fallen teammate.

Hotch looked sad but relieved, and even Derek looked a bit ashamed at his reaction.

"He's a sadist," Derek said a second later, "during the first attack; rape was enough to get his release. During the second, he needed to add the humiliation in to get ultimate power. With this third attack, the act itself isn't enough, now he needs the element of inflicting pain to gain satisfaction. He's evolving rapidly, and it isn't going to be long until he's killed, because the rape isn't enough anymore. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't be surprised if his next victim ends up dead, which means…"

Hotch nodded. "This means wheels up in twenty. I hope you all remembered to bring your ready bags."

They nodded, and everyone stood to left down to their cars and grabbed the ready bags. They walked to the van, where Morgan was already sitting in the driver's seat. She climbed into the back, and watched as Spence climbed in, sitting beside her.

Hotch followed a few minutes later, climbing into the passenger seat.

"So, what else do we know about the UNSUB," Hotch asked as they pulled out of the underground lot.

"He's escalating rapidly," Spence said after a minute perusing the file. "Juliet Holmes was attacked in her home, at night. She's single, and new to the area, so no one thought twice when she didn't show up to work the next morning. She reported the rape almost immediately after recovering consciousness the next morning, and reported that the UNSUB spent hours with her.

With Michelle Garson, married one year to a Navy Captain, he didn't spend close to the same amount of time. She reported that he kept asking her, 'if it was good for her". Then he forced her to clean up after, and he also forced her to wash the bed sheets in bleach water. This shows that he's meticulous."

"With Abigail Suede, married with a newborn child," Morgan said, "There's none of that. He didn't even bother with any other part of his ritual. He just threw bleach on her, effective in removing all traces of DNA from him, but also a lot more impersonal. There wasn't any interaction between his initial attack, and when he left. That's rapid de-evolution. This guy's all over the map."

"Age wise," Spence said, "the three victims are all within a year of each other, and Abigail Suede is the oldest, at thirty. Juliet Holmes is the youngest at twenty-nine, and Michelle Garson is just two days shy of turning thirty. That means the UNSUB is within five years, since we know rapists tend to stay close to their own age. He's most likely Caucasian since most rapists don't tend to cross the color barrier."

"So we're looking for a white male, twenty-four to thirty-four." Hotch said, filling in the first part of their profile. They arrived at the plane, about then. JJ closed her phone, and said, "We'll be met at the local airport by the sheriff and mayor. The mayor wants to be kept in the loop on the case, since the women attacked are well-standing members of the community."

"No problem, JJ," their boss said.

"He'll have a prior conviction," Derek said, "Possibly started out peeking into windows at an early age."

"How can you be sure," JJ asked. Hotch smiled, nodding for Morgan to continue. Derek said, "We know from past experience that most rapists don't start out this violently. There are always signs of escalation."

"This is a good starting point," Hotch said, his eyes hard as the plane taxied down the runway. "JJ," the unit chief turned to her, his eyes hard, "as soon as we land, get started on planning a press conference. We need to warn the women of Kent County."

She nodded.

"So, victimology," Hotch then said.

"There isn't a lot about them, other than the fact that they're all physically the same type. Juliet Holmes is single, and she just started a medical internship at Kent Hospital, after graduating Egregia cum Laude after attaining her MD for both Emergency Room and Operating Room practices.

Abigail Suede recently had a child with her husband, a firefighter, though her most recent job was that of a waitress at a local restaurant.

Michelle Garson was recently let go from the factory she worked at for four years, after a newer employee accused her of unsafe working conditions. The charges were proven false after an internal investigation; however, Michelle had also been verbally abused by her former coworkers after the incident, a fire starting near her working area. She was recently awarded a large settlement for emotional pain and suffering, as well as being fired without cause." Spence said surprised.

"What kind of fire?" Hotch asked. Spence looked at the report and said, "the report indicates that the janitor set undiluted bleach near her area. She was the operator of an Oxy Fuel Acetylene torch, which means she was a welder. The janitor claims that the bleach was not even used the night before, so there should have been no reason for the bleach to have been left out. An analysis of the floor indicates that to be true."

"Was anyone hurt in the chemical fire?"

"Just the new employee, Terra Parsons, who was the employee to levy charges against Michelle Garson," Derek said looking at his report. "She was also hurt in the chemical fire, and awarded a settlement from the company in question."

Hotch nodded.

"What worries me," Spence said, "is that the bleach would have released toxic fumes along with the fire, yet no one has complained of lung damage, or shown up as being poisoned."

The team shared a look, and Hotch said, "That's irrelevant at the moment, Reid. We need to focus on finding the UNSUB. Bring it up after we catch this guy, okay?"

Spence nodded. JJ could see his eyes narrow, calculating.

"Why didn't they smell the bleach before hand," JJ asked.

"Because, they just assumed the janitor had cleaned the floors the night before, apparently the day after bleaching the floors, the work area still has the bleach odor," Derek said.

The plan landed a few minutes later, and as the team debarked, Hotch walked up too two men, one in an officer's uniform the other wearing a custom-made three-piece suit, and said, "Mayor Reynolds, Sheriff Adams, I'm Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner, this is SSA Jareau, our media liaison. These are Agents Morgan and Doctor Reid with the FBI."

"Thank you for coming," Mayor Reynolds said, "We've had a difficult time keeping the public from panicking."

JJ said, "That's why I'm here. Hotch, I'll get started on a press conference to let the locals know we're here." The Unit Chief nodded.

"Anyways," the Mayor said a bit upset about being cut off, "Abigail Suede is the wife of the Chief of the Fire Department, so as you can imagine, this is pretty big news."

"Yes, and it's a lot worse," Sheriff Adams said, "I was just notified before you arrived, another woman was assaulted. She's dead."

"Why didn't I hear about this," Mayor Reynolds asked, his eyes narrowing. Sheriff Adams said, "Because, her body was located only ten minutes ago, Mr. Mayor. It was Terra Parsons," he said. The Mayor paled. The team winced.

"Sheriff, we're going to need access to a work area, and our technical analyst should be in contact with you from Quantico."

"We've got an area set up at the station," he said, "I need to go out to deliver some bad news, if someone would like to join me. The crime scene units are on location at the scene, which is the old City Hall on South Wales Blvd. Mayor Reynolds, I'll contact you with an update later," the Sheriff said. The Mayor, still pale, nodded, "That's fine. I'm going to call Argyle, to let him know so he can be ready if we need to call him in, Doug."

"Derek," Hotch said, "You go with the Sheriff to interview Ms. Parson's family. Reid, I'll need you to pull all the information you can from the Fire Chief regarding the chemical fire, and see if there's anything strange you can make out about it. Then, head to the sight of the latest assault, and see if anything sticks out at you."

Reid nodded, as Hotch finished, "After that, meet us at the police station. JJ, are you prepared to issue a statement?"

"Just about," she said, "I'm just waiting for word back from local affiliates, then I'll get everything pulled together."

Hotch nodded.

**With Derek**-

"Argyle?" Derek asked the Sheriff a few seconds after getting into the car. The Sheriff said, "The Mayor's son, he's twenty-three, and a part-time deputy. He's a good kid, and the Mayor dotes on him."

Derek nodded. "So, where exactly did Terra Parsons live?"

"She lived about a ten miles out; her parents were long-time city council members."

Derek nodded.

"She was hurt in the chemical fire," Derek asked.

"Yeah, but after it was determined that Michelle Garson was innocent, Terra called her and apologized for what happened between them. Michelle told her that her reaction was understandable, since she got burned pretty badly, and that she didn't hold any resentment towards Ms. Parsons."

"How bad were her injuries," Derek asked as they pulled into a driveway.

"She has... Had scars on fourteen percent of her body, as well as scarring along the insides of her thighs and damage to her face where the bleach melted part of her skin. The chemical fire burned pretty rapidly."

Derek nodded again, as the Sheriff put his car in park and stepped out, into cold air. Sheriff Adams sighed, "I hate this part of the job."

"You and every other person in our line of work," Derek said agreeing as they approached the door. Derek pulled his badge almost immediately seeing the man eyeing them with anxiousness.

"Sheriff Adams," the man about to receive the worst news a parent could greeted them cordially.

"Daniel," the sheriff said, "This is FBI Special Agent Derek Morgan, may we come in?"

"What's this about?"

"Sir," Derek said, "I really think you should be sitting down for what we need to say."

Daniel nodded, walking inside and sitting beside his wife, who Sheriff Adams greeted as "Samantha", eyeing them nervously.

"Dan," Sheriff Adams said, "Sam, I'm so sorry, Terra's body was found this morning. She's been murdered."

Derek winced as the cordial attitude in their hosts changed almost immediately to hostile.

"What the hell happened?" Daniel said, "Was it that bitch Michelle?"

"Dan," the Sheriff said, "It was not Michelle Garson."

"How can you know that," Samantha Parsons said, anger lining her voice.

"Terra was killed by a man," the Sheriff said. Their faces paled.

"The r-r-rapist," Dan asked, "Was he… did…"

"There isn't any evidence of sexual assault," the Sheriff said, not bothering to mention that they hadn't yet performed an autopsy.

"What's the FBI's interest in this case," Daniel said turning his burning gaze to Derek. He sighed, "We were already on our way this morning when news about your daughter reached Local Law Enforcement. We were hoping to prevent another assault, and I can only apologize for what's happened."

"They weren't even here yet," Doug Adams told the parents before him.

"Mr. and Mrs. Parsons, I know this is a really bad time, but I was hoping I could ask you a few questions."

"Why," Samantha asked.

"Because, these questions will help us narrow in on the bastard that did this to your family," Derek said honestly.

The devastated couple before him nodded.

"Was your daughter involved with anyone," Derek asked.

"Dating?" Samantha asked, "No. At least not that we know. Ever since the fire at the plant, she's been so secluded. Her face was almost completely burned off between the acetylene and the bleach. She was awarded half of a large settlement from the explosion; the other half went to the bitch that started the fire."

"Michelle Garson was cleared of any wrongdoing," Sheriff Adams said. "Terra also told me that she contacted Michelle, and apologized for what happened between them. Terra and she mended their friendship," he explained. The couple was stunned, their faces dropping; the weight of having to maintain such hatred leaving them.

"You're sure?"

"Michelle and Terra were friends?" Derek asked.

"Since childhood," Samantha nodded, tears flowing down her face as she pointed out a picture on the mantle.

"Why wasn't this in your report, Sheriff," Derek asked?

"Is it relevant?" Doug asked.

Derek nodded, "It shows a connection between the two of them that we didn't know about before. Mr. and Mrs. Parsons, do you know the name of the Doctor that treated your daughter?"

Samantha nodded and walked out of the room. She came back a few minutes later with a letter, "It's the close-out letter Terra received from Kent Hospital. That would be Doctor Juliet Holmes."

Derek's eyes narrowed, and he thanked them, apologizing again for their loss. "We will catch the man that did this," Derek assured them.

"How can you know that," Daniel Parsons asked. Derek said, "Because, catching the bad guys is what we do."

As they walked out of the building, Derek pulled out his phone.

"Hotch," he said a second after the phone picked up, "Juliet Holmes was the Doctor that treated Terra Parsons after the chemical fire disfigured her. I think that if we check, she'll have also treated Michelle Garson."

Derek listened to the man telling him what Pretty boy had figured out, before asking, "What are the chances that all of the victims were close to this chemical fire, even indirectly? Doctor Holmes treated both Michelle Garson and Terra Parsons, and Abigail Suede's husband investigated how the fire was set."

Derek turned to the sheriff and repeated the question what Hotch just asked him, "How old is Fire Chief Suede?"

"Mike is thirty-four," he told them.

Hotch hung up, a few seconds after the sheriff told them. Ten minutes later, they pulled into the station, where the team was already converged.

**With Reid**

Spencer nodded as he got his travelling orders, and after Hotch asked his girlfriend a question, shared with her a quick kiss, and walked to a standard issue SUV that was waiting for him. Once he'd started the engine, he pulled out and drove too the Fire Department.

He pulled his badge, getting instant access from the firefighters, who had only seconds before been prepared to kick him out of here. Upon knocking on the door too the Fire Chief's office, he was called to come in.

"Fire Chief Suede, I'm Special Agent Doctor Spencer Reid with the FBI. My team is in town looking into the serial rapist that's been attacking local women," he said, noticing the Chief gained a hard look about him. "I know this is a sensitive subject, and I apologize, however, I do need to ask you a few questions."

He nodded. "What can I do for you, Doctor Reid?"

"We understand that the Fire Department investigated the chemical fire that hurt Terra Parsons and Michelle Garson. What can you tell me about it?"

"What does the fire have to do with this?" Fire Chief Suede asked.

Spencer sighed, "Terra Parsons was found murdered this morning. So far, the fire is the only common denominator between four of the… that we can find."

The chief nodded, "It was just a standard fire; the fire from the acetylene torch hit the bleach, superheated it causing it to explode."

"Acetylene Torches burn at 6000 degrees Fahrenheit, or 3,315.55 repeating Celsius," Spence nodded. "And bleach is classified as both explosive/reactive and toxic according to government reports. Do you have a copy of the department's report, so that I can look it over?"

"Are you qualified?" the Fire Chief asked. Spence nodded, "I have PhD's in Chemistry and Engineering, which gives relevancy to the situation at hand, as well as another in Mathematics."

The Chief went to the filing cabinet and pulled out a folder.

"It says here that you were the investigator on this case?" Spence said a second later, his eyes narrowed slightly.

"I only became the fire chief two weeks ago," Chief Suede said, "It was a sudden promotion, Chief Sanchez wasn't due to retire for another year, but he announced a couple of days after the fire that he was retiring early."

Spencer nodded, his hand flowing over the words. He smiled; JJ had mentioned that he looked like a scanner when he did this.

"Excuse me Doctor Reid, can you actually read that fast?"

"Yes," he answered, "Thank you, Chief; might I take a copy of the report, please?"

"Keep that one, Doctor," he said, "Just find the bastard that's doing this!"

"Yes sir, and please accept my condolences for what has happened to your wife."

The man nodded. Spencer stood and shook his hand. Then, he turned and walked out.

He approached his SUV, and without waiting, pulled out of the lot in front of the fire department and drove for a few minutes, before pulling out his phone and dialing Hotch's number. He didn't get an answer, so he dialed JJ.

"Hey JJ," he said, "How's everything going on your end?" He listened to her answer, and smiled.

"I did try calling Hotch first," he replied hurriedly, blushing, "but he didn't answer.

He grinned at her response before passing on what he knew.

"Can you let Hotch know that Chief Suede has only been on the job for two weeks, and that the old Chief, Sanchez, was forced out for an unknown reason? Thanks," he said listening to her response. "Thank you. Also, I'm heading to the crime scene now, JJ. I'll be back at the station in about thirty minutes."

"I will," Spence promised, "I'll call you later."

He sighed as he pulled into the old City Hall, which had been renovated into apartment buildings when City Hall was moved across town to a newer building. He parked alongside a white van with the letters "CSU" painted on in green letters. A police officer was looking at him and yelling that he needed to back up. Spence approached with his badge out, and showed it to the officer, who lifted the yellow tape.

"EXCUSE ME," a voice yelled, "Agent!"

Spence turned. A reporter stood there, a microphone in her hand. She was displaying her chest forward, smiling seductively at him. Spence ignored her poor attempts at seduction and said, "The FBI has no comment at this moment. We cannot discuss the details of an ongoing investigation."

"What about the press conference that has been called?" the woman challenged. Spencer looked at her, and said, "As I said, the FBI has no comment _at this time_," he stressed. "Please excuse me."

The woman pouted for a moment, before opening her mouth again. Spencer sighed and said, "You need to keep the area cleared Officer," he looked at the tag, "Greene."

He nodded, and Spencer turned to the building, and almost lost his lunch. It wasn't his first horrifying crime scene, but it was a bad one. Blood was everywhere, arterial spray covering the walls, as well as a pool of blood. There was an outline where Terra Parson's body had once laid.

"Can I help you," a CSI asked. Spence turned to him and said, "Special Agent Doctor Spencer Reid, FBI. I just need to look at the crime scene."

"We're just about to clear it, Doctor," the CSI asked, "I'm CSI Foley."

"Thank you," Spence said looking at the scene. "Do you have any pictures of the victim; my team is going to need to see how she died and what about her, other than her death, differs from the previous victims."

CSI Foley handed him a digital camera and sadly said, "I took the pictures myself, Doctor Reid. As you can see, her throat was slashed, cutting both internal and external carotid arteries."

"Any signs that she was sexually assaulted," Spence asked softly. CSI Foley shook his head, "Not in the strictest definition."

"Please explain," Spencer asked. CSI Foley looked at him and said, "There are signs of sexual activity, however, there are no defensive marks on the victim. There was no skin underneath her nails, and there were no forensic countermeasures taken, except for evidence of a condom. We also found a fingerprint on her arms."

"Have you run the print yet," Spence asked. CSI Foley shook his head. Spence nodded and turned to the room. "Were there any signs of forced entry?"

"No," another CSI said walking too them.

"No," agreed CSI Foley, "Doctor Barkley, this is Agent Doctor Spencer Reid, FBI. Doctor Barkley is our Medical Examiner."

Spencer looked at the room and said, "Thank you. Doctor Barkley can you tell me cause of death?"

"What it seems," the man said, "severing the carotid artery caused exsanguination. The victim probably bled out within minutes."

"Two point three," Spencer said nodding. "Judging by the amount of arterial spray on the wall, she lost about four and a half pints of blood, correct."

"Yes, about that Doctor Reid. Our estimates have it at about four point three."

Spencer nodded. "Thank you," he said a second later.

"Clear the room," CSI Foley yelled after a few seconds. Once the room was clear, he placed a pair of latex gloves on, and started moving around the room. He smiled and said, "I'm the UNSUB. I didn't force my way into the room, so I knew the victim. Intimately, we were intimate before I killed her."

He looked at the mirrors, noticing that they were all blacked out. "She's ashamed to look at herself. The burns on her body were hideous to look at, so she's disfigured." Spencer looked around the room.

"She was meticulous in her life, no shoes out of place. She lived a very strict schedule." He pulled out his phone.

"Hotch, I think Terra Parsons knew the UNSUB. She was sexually active right before she was murdered, and it wasn't rape. There are no signs of forced entry, and she has all her mirrors and windows blocked, so she wouldn't invite someone in she didn't know. I think we need to add Fire Chief Suede to our suspect list. He investigated the chemical fire three months ago. If he isn't the UNSUB, he knows who it is."

"Alright Reid, come on back to the station. We'll send an officer out to bring Fire Chief Suede in to talk to him."

**With Hotch and JJ**-

Hotch looked at the old police station with a bit of anxiety. This case was difficult enough, the team was down to an extremely short number, but now they were expected to work in an extremely cramped office? JJ was working diligently, contacting local and national media sources.

"JJ," he said, "We'll do the press conference after we deliver the profile. Are you all set up?"

She nodded. "Alright, I'm going to go see about backgrounds for the victims, do you need me to help with anything?"

"No thanks Hotch," she said as their unit chief walked away, holding a stack of case files. She spent about fifteen minutes getting assurances from local media that they'd be in the area in about an hour.

Hotch, she noticed, was a man on a mission. He was at the whiteboard, tacking photos and writing out what seemed to be a timeline. When his phone rang a few seconds later, she heard him slam his fist to the table in aggravation as he said, "Hotchner."

A stoic expression came to his face, "Hey Garcia, what do you have for us?"

She heard him turn on the speaker phone. "Who all is with you, oh captain my captain?"

"Just me, Garcia, Spence and Morgan are out at the moment."

"Hey Angelface," Garcia said, "So, I did some digging, cause that's how I roll. And I found out a couple of things. First, Michelle Garson and Terra Parsons were just awarded multi-million dollar settlements for the chemical fire, where they were both burned really badly. Michelle Garson's burns were mostly in places where they could be easily hid, like her stomach and thighs, but Terra Parsons was directly in the blast zone, and her face has been partially melted off. Also hospital records show that Juliet Holmes was the attending physician for both of them."

"Had Garcia," Hotch corrected softly. "She was found murdered this morning."

Garcia was quiet a moment, "Then I think this might help too. Apparently, Terra was recently engaged, and the day after the settlement came in, the Mayor's office was closed down so a Justice of the Peace could perform a wedding."

"Wedding," Hotch asked. Garcia's voice came over the phone, "Yeah. But here's the odd thing, the name of the groom was withheld, and the Justice of the Peace of Kent County, Rhode Island refuses to answer my question without a court order."

"Thanks Garcia, you need to… hold on… JJ's getting a call."

"Hey Spence," she said letting them know who was calling. "We're just waiting for you guys to get back so we can start the press conference. What's up? Shouldn't you have called Hotch? Or did you miss hearing my voice?" She grinned, letting Hotch know she was joking as she listened to his response.

"Yeah, he's on talking to Garcia, which is why you couldn't get hold him, because Garcia likes to talk too much," she said grinning again as Garcia scoffed in amusement.

"Hey Hotch," she said, "Spence says that Fire Chief Suede has only been on the job for two weeks, and that the old Chief was forced to retire early. He's finished talking with the Chief, and is going to head out to the crime scene, and then he'll be here in about thirty minutes."

She waited a few seconds, listening to him speak before she laughed and closed the phone.

"How is everything going with you two?" Hotch asked. JJ laughed and said, "Great. He's totally awkward, you know? But, he's eager to learn, and he's always so sweet. I think I'm falling in love with him, Hotch."

"Tell him, JJ," Hotch said, "It's totally worth it."

"I think I'm going too, after we get off this case. Anyways, I'm ready for the press conference as soon as you are."

Hotch nodded, as his phone rang. "It's Reid again," he said to JJ. She nodded, "I'm going for coffee. Do you want anything?"

He nodded.

"Hey Reid," the man said, "What do you have for me?"

He listened to Reid deliver a few needed pieces of the profile, thankful that it was coming together so easily.

"Thanks Reid, come on back to the station. We'll send an officer out to bring in Fire Chief Suede so we can talk to him."

Reid thanked him and hung up the phone. Hotch was about to turn back to the whiteboard when his phone rang again. It was Morgan.

"Reid just called," Hotch said, "He thinks that Terra Parsons knows the UNSUB. He also found out that Abigail Suede's husband wasn't the chief at the time of the chemical fire, but he was the one that investigated how it was set. He was only recently promoted to Fire Chief in the last two weeks. Also Garcia has confirmed that Doctor Holmes saw both of them after the fire."

"How old is the Fire Chief?" Hotch asked. When Derek told him the answer, he was surprised. "He definitely fits our profile, so far anyway. Reid thinks like you, if he isn't the UNSUB, he knows who it is. I'm going to have him added to the suspect list, just in case. I'll see you when you get here."

JJ re-entered as he hung up the phone, Reid walking behind her as the two of them talked softly to each other, a cup of coffee in both of their hands. When Derek arrived ten minutes later, he looked at the board, sat down and sighed, and took the cup of coffee Reid handed him with a silent 'thanks'.

"We're ready to give the profile." Hotch said, his face tired.

She watched the profilers straighten their backs, and hitch their shoulders, as they walked out into the bullpen where the local law enforcement officers were running about _helter skelter_.

A few minutes later had everyone looking at them, as Hotch started off. "We have a profile of the man we're looking for. When we describe the man we're looking for, some of you are going to immediately recognize someone that meets this description.

He's a Caucasian male between the ages of twenty-four and thirty-four. He's physically fit enough to attack and contain a woman, but not enough to completely scare them into not fighting back, so between five-six and five-eleven."

Derek continued, "He'll have grown up around here, and this won't be his first offense. He'll have an arrest, and probably time in juvenile detention."

Spence said, "Most importantly, he recently married the most recent victim, Terra Parsons, and he killed her in some sort of vengeance fantasy."

Derek again continued, "What this means is that he's been attempting to avenge Terra Parsons' injuries obtained during the chemical fire, and even went as far as to tell her what he'd done."

Hotch nodded, "We know this, because her death, while violent, came after she was willingly intimate with the UNSUB. We know that she recently married him, but the Justice of the Peace is withholding that information until we can obtain a warrant."

"We think the stressor," Reid said seeing their blank looks, "which is a term we use to indicate the event that caused the UNSUB to start targeting people, was the promotion of Fire Chief Suede, who investigated the fire that burned his wife."

"There's no evidence that she married anyone," a deputy asked, "How can you be sure?"

"Our technical analyst has uncovered a marriage license that has her name on it, a date, and a time, but the groom's name was blacked out." Hotch said.

"Alright," the Sheriff said, "What do we do now?"

"Now," Hotch said, "Now we deliver the profile too the people of Kent County, and see if anyone recognizes it. Sheriff, has your deputy returned from picking up Chief Suede?"

"He has, Mike's in the interrogation room. He's waived his Miranda rights."

"That's fine," Hotch said, "We know it isn't him."

The Sheriff nodded, confused.

"Reid, you have a rapport with the Fire Chief. He knows more than he's telling us, I need you too get him to open up."

Spence nodded, JJ noticed almost immediately. He took a deep breath, and walked into the room, fidgeting the entire time.

"Doctor Reid," Chief Suede said as he entered, "Can you tell me why I was arrested?"

Spence walked over to him and said, "I apologize for the inconvenience, Chief. It seems like someone has gone to great lengths to implicate you in the rapes and murders. I understand you've waived your Miranda rights?"

The man nodded, his body language shifting almost immediately.

"I'm going to give you a description of the man we're looking for. It's someone you know, someone you've talked too during your investigation into the chemical fire. He'll have been outspoken about your decision, even going as far as lobbying for you to be fired. When you were promoted recently, he took that as a personal offence."

The Chief nodded.

Spence read off the profile they'd just given too the police. And while everyone could see that he knew who it was, the Chief shook his head and said, "I haven't heard of anyone like that."

"Chief," Spencer said as the man went to stand up, "I know that you know who the UNSUB is, I can read it in your body language. I also know that you're planning on avenging your wife's recent assault. Please, tell us who it is, your wife can't handle losing you on top of what has happened. And your child needs his father."

"I don't know what you're talking about," the obviously angry man said. Spence sighed. He walked out and said, "Hotch? We need to hold him until we get the UNSUB."

"We can't," Hotch said sadly, "He hasn't committed a crime, and premeditating a crime isn't illegal. Cut him loose," Hotch said, "But keep an officer on him at all times."

"We will," he said, "But what now?"

"Now," Hotch said, "we have to hope that the press conference will give us something."

A half-hour later, and JJ stood in front of the local police station, her hair swaying in the breeze; Hotch, Morgan and Reid behind her with the Chief of Police and Mayor.

"The FBI was called in too assist in finding the rapist attack local women. We are prepared to release a profile and general description of the man we are looking for, in the hopes that someone that knows him will step forward. The man we're looking for is Caucasian between the ages of twenty-four and thirty-four. He stands between five foot six inches, and five-foot-eleven inches, and will be physically fit, but not well-built.

We know he's recently married the most recent victim, Terra Parsons, who we found murdered this morning, in a private ceremony. We tell you this, not too scare the public, but to inform everyone of the seriousness of this situation. He will also have protested the recent promotion of Fire Chief Suede. His actions have been in retaliation to what he perceived as aggression towards his fiancé after the chemical fire at the local plant.

I can now take a few questions."

"What makes you think this profile is accurate?" a male reporter asked. JJ looked at him and said, "The Behavioral Analysis Unit was formed too combat some of the most heinous criminal's of the age. The profilers you see use a mix of precedent; psychology and sociology too understand how the criminal thinks."

"How accurate are these profiles?" a female reporter asked looking at Spence and glaring. She stepped aside, gesturing for Spence to answer.

"Profiles are accurate in 99% of all our cases," he did.

"Isn't this just junk science," a third reporter, male, asked. JJ said, "Not at all. Profiles just help narrow the suspect pool down, say there are a thousand people suspected of a crime, but you only need five names out of those thousand. Our profiles narrow down the suspect, as we said, based on criteria; age, height, weight and precedent."

"Profile me then," a fourth said, leering at her. Hotch stepped forward and did just that.

"You're going through a messy divorce; you were caught cheating on your wife. I know this because of the fact that you're missing your wedding ring, and your clothes are wrinkled, and your eyes are sunken like you haven't slept well in a few days. The woman you cheated with looks similar to Agent Jareau, in looks, but unlike Agent Jareau, she fell for your leeching ways too quickly, which means she was probably still in high school, because most women won't fall for that as they get older."

The man paled, and said, "She was eighteen, you pervert!"

Hotch just smiled, "I never said she wasn't, and you just admitted to it."

The man glared at him and stomped away.

"If you recognized the profile, please call the Warwick, Rhode Island police department at the number running across your screen now. Thank you."

Once they were inside, Hotch glared and said, "I hate having to perform like a side-show to catch these animals."

"I know, it's been so long since this happened," Derek said, "Look, let's face it, this shit happens man."

A couple more hours passed, the team going over a list of suspects, when the Sheriff entered and said, "We have a suspect."

The team was up immediately, their sidearms armed, and vests in place.

"Who is the suspect?" Hotch asked. The team followed the sheriff and his deputies.

"Argyle Reynolds," he said quietly.

"The Mayor's son," Derek said his eyes wide.

"Yeah, your warrant came back for the Justice of the Peace. He said that he performed a private ceremony for the Mayor's son just after Terra Parson's was awarded her settlement. Before that, they'd never been involved, and she didn't know him. We also found a latent print on the jug of bleach; it was burned into the plastic, and covered with soot. We ran the print, and it came back too Argyle Reynolds."

"How did he get access?"

"The Reynolds family has owned the plant for years," the sheriff said.

"And since the Mayor is his father, he had the old chief fired, probably to cover up what happened?"

The team cursed, angry at the turn of events.

When they arrived to the gated house, security guards were all over the property. "You can't come in here," one said snootily to the Sheriff. Hotch stepped out, his best glare in place and he said, "If you don't move your men out of the way, I will have you all arrested for harboring fugitives."

The security guard was about to respond when he saw their vests and said, "There are Feds arriving, boys. Pull out!"

The security guards scattered. The boss said, "Sorry, we were told there was a threat too the Mayor's life."

"Misuse of power," the Sheriff said ironically. "Can we arrest them now, please?"

Hotch nodded, "My team will enter first, but we'll let you make the arrest."

"Thanks," the man said. Ten minutes, it was over, both Reynolds men in custody.

The trip back to Quantico was silent, the team melancholy.

"We survived this one," Spence whispered in her ear. She shivered at the feeling of his breath on her, and said, "We did. I didn't think we would, but we did."

Spence nodded, his arms wrapped around her waist, as he lightly placed kisses to her neck.

When they arrived back at Quantico later that night, JJ and he met at their cars.

"My place or yours tonight," JJ asked softly. Spence smiled and cupped her face, "Yours. It's been a couple of days since you were at home, and I have more than enough clothes in your closet by now."

She nodded, a soft smile on her face. They piled in their cars, and drove quickly through the empty streets of Quantico.

When they arrived back to her apartment, JJ smiled as she stepped in, not surprised at the pile of mail on her floor. She placed the mail on the table and told Spence to go sit on the couch while she got a couple of sandwiches ready.

When she sat down five minutes later, she immediately turned to him and said, "before we eat, I need to say something."

Spence sat the plate down and locked his gaze with her.

"Over the last month, I've had more heartache and more happiness than I though possible. A lot of the happiness is because of you, Spence. You've helped me passed a horrible moment. But," she said, "But if I've learned anything, its that we need to stop living with regrets, because we won't know when our life could end. So," she said, cupping his chin. "So, I need you to know that I love you. I love you Spencer William Reid."

Spence looked at her, shock in his gaze as he pulled her close and gave her an electrifying kiss. Her heart sang out, only seconds later, when Spence said, "I love you too, JJ. I love you so much, and you're not the only one exceptionally happy through it all."

She smiled.

"_When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears. When you'd scream, I'd fight away all of your fears. I held your hand through all of these years, but you still have all of me. – Amy Lee, Evanescence"_


	11. Chapter Ten: Redemption Pt 1 Hubris

_CHAPTER TEN: Redemption Part 1: Hubris_

"_Redeem thy misspent time that's past. And live this day as if thy last. – Thomas Ken"_

**April 09, 2005: San Francisco, CA, 5:28P.M.**

The man was in no way spectacular to look at. If you were to see him in the middle of the park, or walking down the street, you'd ignore him as if he were of no consequence. He stood at five foot five, less than the average height of a man his age, and could in no way be considered a threat by physical looks alone.

And yet, as the man walked through the crowded streets of San Francisco, California, he if you were to meet him on a crowded street, you'd find that you couldn't be further from the truth.

It was all in the eyes. He had the eyes of a killer.

He approached the police station with a cautious eye, and sat on the steps of the building. Then, taking a look around the street, he saw his chance; quickly placing an envelope on the step, he took a large rock from his coat and placed it on top of the letter, and walked away, his shoulders drooping, allowing him to blend into the heavy crowd.

**April 11, 2005: Apartment of Jennifer Jareau: 5:28A.M.**

Jennifer Jareau sighed, her body absolutely exhausted from the four hours of sleep she'd gotten the night before. The dim light coming into her window told her it was well before sunrise, and yet, though her body was exhausted, her mind was awake.

She was laid in bed, basking in the feel of the normalcy surrounding her, the arms around her filling cold nights with undisguised warmth.

She looked at the clock on her nightstand, and quickly turned it off, wanting to relish the normalcy as long as she could.

_She had arrived at home well after midnight; her mind on the case she had to present to the team when they got to work the next morning, too a home-cooked dinner that was left, covered, in the microwave. A sense of deep affection filled her at the thoughtfulness of the man she loved. It was the first time she could remember, since she'd left the normalcy of North Versailles, that her kitchen had smelled anywhere as delightfully wonderful as it had. And, it was the first time that she'd ever come home to a home-cooked meal, and she loved it. _

_After she finished eating her boyfriend's offering, she'd looked for her young genius, intent on thanking him with an exuberance that would be repeated as often as possible… only to find him asleep, a look of utter content covering his Morpheus-entrenched body. Needless to say, it hadn't taken her long to slip into his arms, and had taken even less time for those arms to pull her close into him._

"Hello Jennifer," her boyfriend of sixteen days said in her ear. She jerked, not expecting him to announce that he was awake. She'd been especially quiet since she'd awoken, so was surprised that he'd woken since she'd turned her morning alarm off. She looked at the clock, surprised that nearly twenty minutes had passed; so caught in her memories of the night before she'd failed to notice time slipping away.

"Hey honey," she said turning in his arms. He smiled at her, his hand cupping her face as he trailed his fingers down, tracing her jaw line; undisguised lust filling his gaze. That realization hit her hard, unable to believe that she could have such an affect on her young genius, or that her young genius could have such an affect on her.

It was two days since they had declared their love for each other. It was less than a week since the night he'd seen her almost completely nude. And, of course, two weeks since he learned that she yearned for his touch, as much as he yearned for hers. And like every other area of study he had ever taken, Spencer Reid excelled.

Their eyes locked for the briefest of moments, their shared gazes telling the other everything they wanted to know. Slowly, ever so slowly, she felt him lean his mouth over hers, their lips touching in a sweet, passion-filled moment of pure ecstasy.

She ran her hands over his chest, surprised when he moved to straddle her, his forearms on either side of her face as he deepened the kiss. Her body reacted, instinctively; she wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling their clothed thighs closer together, as she felt his lips move to her neck.

"Jennifer," the undisguised passion in his voice invoked a need within her, as his arousal pressed against her barely covered core. She opened her eyes, seeing the unhidden want in his eyes, though she could still see the ever-fading fear contained therein. She promised that the very minute that fear was gone, she'd have him. And he'd have her in return.

"Spence," she gasped, as she instinctively moved against him for the first time. She felt him gasp, and used the moment to reverse their positions; his hands coming up to hold her waist, as she fell forward, her lips crashing against his; her tongue entering his mouth as they began the battle for dominance.

The intensity in the room was all-consuming, their bodies moving ever-closer together, as she pressed her whole weight against him. She felt his arousal seated between them, and regretted for an instant the barriers of clothing still separating them.

Without warning, she felt him roll them too the left, and felt his body top hers, as he settled his weight against her. She felt his hands wrap around her, as he pulled her body tight against his. His lips left hers, before trailing down her neck. A shudder ran up her spine.

She could feel his arousal at her entrance, covered only by the cloth of his boxers and her panties. She moved instinctively, rubbing against him. A passionate gasp erupted from both of them, as deliberately she did it again.

And suddenly, fear overwhelmed her, and she locked their gazes, searching for any indication that they'd gone too far.

"Jennifer," he moaned. Her eyes widened, she'd never invoked that response from him before.

"Spence," she said, before his finger covered her lips, and he shook his head.

Suddenly, he fell to the side, lying on top of her only enough to restrict movement. She wondered what was happening, before she felt his lips on the tip of her ear, and his hands moving down her body, cupping her breasts and tweaking her nipples as an arc of pleasure shot through her.

Then, for the first time, her boyfriend took a bouldering step. His hands dipped lower than she ever anticipated, ever hoped to imagine, and cupped her moist, most intimate area. Her back instinctively arched into him. And she panted.

"Guide me, Jennifer," he softly commanded. Her mind briefly wondered why she should bother, when he was doing such a wonderful job playing the melody of her body.

"Jennifer," he softly said, "Have I gone too far?"

She shook her head, instinctively knowing that the moment would end if she didn't respond. Her hands travelled down, seconds later, grasping his. She closed two of his fingers, and moved his hand too her moist opening, where she could already feel the slick juices of her arousal coating his fingers. She fumbled his hands awkwardly for a few seconds that seemed like an eternity, before she felt an arc of intense electricity as he ran over her hidden bundle of nerves.

"D-d-did you f-f-feel that," she said. Spence, his lips on her neck, kissed once; yes. "R-r-rub t-t-th-there," she barely commands, her breath coming in shallow gasps, now. Spence smiled, or at least she thought he was smiling as she felt his lips curving on the side of her neck.

Her back arched again as his thumb moved over her clitoral hood, as his fingers entered her. "Spence," she gasped, shock and heavy anticipation filling her. He stopped his hand.

"Please," she said, not sure what she was asking.

He moved his fingers inside her, and she could almost imagine that it was another part of his anatomy entering her. Her eyes closed, as she felt electricity flowing through her, as she felt a second finger enter her, her own.

"Spence," she gasped, "Please?"

"This is for you, Jennifer," he told her, "to make up for all the time you've given me. I," he whispered, "I'm not fully ready for where this could easily head, but I know that you've been extremely patient and willing to teach me, so I wanted to make sure you know that I'm fully appreciative for the time you've given. I love you, Jennifer," he told her.

Her orgasm hit, exploding from a primal place, as she felt herself clench around him. He continued his steady strokes over her bundle of nerves. Soon, her body was again convulsing on his fingers, at his dexterous touch.

And the thought came to her, of its own volition:

If he can do this with his fingers, what will sex be like?

"Spence," she whispered again, a few minutes after coming down from her high. She could still feel the electricity coursing through her. She knew it would only take another touch, and she'd be lit up again.

"Jennifer," he said as he took his fingers from her. She groaned; sighing as her body protested his extrusion even as she turned her gaze to him, her eyes glazed over as she came down from an orgasmic high. Her hands came up, and she wrapped her arms around his chest, pulling him closely into her.

"That was wonderful," she whispered as her lips covered his and her tongue sought entrance into his mouth. "I couldn't have imagined that I'd be given such a beautiful gift, Spence."

He smiled, and she felt his arousal poking against her. "Do you need help with that?"

He blushed, and said, "I wish I were ready for that, Jennifer."

She smiled, and kissed him again, all too briefly, as she said, "The day you are, Spencer Reid, I don't plan on leaving this bedroom."

He gulped, but kissed her again, even as she sat up, and climbed out of bed. She looked at the clock, and was surprised; almost an hour had passed since she'd woken.

"You shower first, Spence," she said. He nodded, not protesting, as she walked over to her closet. As had become custom, she picked out his clothes for the day, before moving around the bedroom, straightening the bed, and picking up their day-old clothes.

She heard the water turn off, and smiled. He exited the bathroom naked save the white towel around his waist. He was flush, yet not as awkwardly so as he had been the first time they'd been this private with each other.

She walked towards him, and felt his hands embrace her, her nightgown becoming transparent as he held her against him. When he released her, she smiled and killed him again, and said, "I'll see you in a few minutes."

He nodded. She showered quickly, her body not needing the extra few minutes it would usually take to wake up in the morning; her boyfriends' hands had done a wonderful job. She stepped out, not bothering to wrap her body in the towel since he would be in the kitchen making them a breakfast.

She looked at the bed and smiled.

Quickly, she dressed into her midnight blue bra and panties, before slipping into the black skirt she loved wearing. She quickly placed a pair of tan, translucent hose on her feet, and slowly rolled them up her leg, smoothing the hose out as she went, before placing a black pair of two-inch heels on her feet, and again smoothing out the heels for creases. She cautiously placed a second pair in her ready bag.

Then, she smiled and pulled on the aquamarine top she'd loved forever and a day, before moving too her safe, and entering her combination. She wasn't surprised to find Spence's badge and gun still safely inside, absently pulling both and his clip, after placing hers on her person.

She lightly did her makeup, glad that she never had to use much, and used an antiperspirant, before placing that in her ready bag. Then, she walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen where her boyfriend was sitting at the table, two plates of eggs, bacon and toast, and two cups of coffee, his black hers with light cream and a packet of sugar, on the table.

"Good morning, honey," she said again, as she pulled the chair out. He smiled at her. "I have your gun and badge," she said. He nodded, "Thank you, Jennifer."

She still shuddered in pleasure, unable to believe the possession he could inflect saying her name. "How did you sleep last night, you were late in arriving?"

She smiled, not surprised he'd noticed when she got home. "It was a tired sleep, Spence, but so far, it's been a wonderful morning."

He blushed, and she knew his mind had immediately went too their pre-shower morning, her skin goose pimpled at the thought. "That was a wonderful present you gave me this morning, honey. I know how uncomfortable you made yourself, so I appreciate it all the more."

"A little bit of discomfort is worth it seeing your face light up," he told her honesty. "You're more important than anyone in my life, save mom, for entirely different reasons."

She didn't know how to respond to that. Surprised that he would open up so candidly to her, and not sugar coat the words with half-truths. He would never be the type to tell her that she didn't look fat if she asked him, and he would never tell her that he didn't think of his mom in high importance, but she knew that he also would never lie to her.

And that was amazing.

"JJ," he asked. She looked at him, at the confusion adorning his face, and smiled lightly. "And you're more important than anyone, or anything, to me too, Spence," she said. She smiled seeing the understanding in her eyes. "You need not tell me that your mom is important to you, I know that. It is okay too imply things, especially when I know what you mean. I won't take anything personally, and I know your mom won't either."

He simply nodded, accepting the information she'd given him. Once breakfast was finished, they moved to the living room, where she turned on the television to CNN, where Anderson Cooper was talking too the San Francisco Chief of Police. She sighed.

"What's wrong, Jennifer?" Spencer asked his breath soft on her ear. She sighed.

"They're talking about our new UNSUB," she told him, "I wasn't going to bring it up until we got to work, to let our lives stay separate for a bit longer."

Spence nodded, and too her shock, took the remote and said, "Then, let's get your mind off of work."

She looked at him, confused, until he pressed three buttons, and _Savage Garden_'s "Truly, Madly, Deeply" filled the speakers.

She gasped as he took her hand, and pulled her close to him. Her arms immediately went around his neck, as she leaned her head in, and they swayed together.

The music changed, seconds later, and the original edition of "I Swear" by _All 4 One_ replaced it.

They danced together for what seemed like hours, his breath on the top of her head a comfort she'd never realized she wanted until she'd been given it on a whim. It was only as her secondary alarm, letting her know it was time to leave, went off that she realized what Spencer Reid just did.

"Let's go," she said as they separated. He smiled, and wiped his finger down her cheek and under her chin before he kissed her one, final, time and said, "I love you, Jennifer."

"I love you too, Spence," she said.

With that, they walked out her front door, their steps and attitudes drastically different from seconds ago.

JJ smiled as her engine roared. She shifted gears, and pulled out of the parking lot, her rearview mirror full of her young genius' older model Honda Accord. He must have seen her looking, as he shook his head, a soft smile on his face. She sighed, and pulled out of the driveway.

Dawn's early light was just cresting over the horizon, a cool, spring breeze filtering in her open window, as she drove through the crowded streets. Traffic was a nightmare.

When she arrived, she noticed that Spence's car was nowhere to be seen, and realized he must have been cut off. She sighed, and pulled her phone.

"Hey JJ," he answered. "Sorry, I got cut off by a school bus as you were turning off. I'm right behind you," he told her almost immediately. She sighed and said, "Alright, I'm going to head on in, let Hotch know."

As he gave her his assurances, she softly told him to be safe, and closed the phone. She walked too the nearest elevator, and climbed in, pressing the correct button to head to the Behavioral Analysis Unit.

The five minute walk through the FBI Headquarters was relatively simple, save for a few meandering fellow employees that hampered her trip by stopping and asking her for case considerations. She told them that they would need to submit a request in writing before she could present the case to her unit chief.

When she arrived, she was fifteen minutes early. She walked swiftly too her office, and unlocked her door, where she winced at the pile of files that had managed to accumulate overnight. Walking over to the only file in the outbox, she grabbed it and walked to the copy room, where Donald Palmer, the media liaison for another BAU team stood making his own copies.

"Good morning Agent Jareau," he said crisply, his black suit giving her the impression that the morning was anything but.

"Good morning Agent Palmer," she said happily, "How is everything going?"

"It's the same everyday, Agent Jareau," he said, his voice losing the crisp quality. "We have a case in New Berlin, Pennsylvania; stalker turned serial killer. And you?"

"The morning started out well enough," she said, smiling softly, "but we're headed to San Francisco."

"_The Redeemer_," the man asked, "how'd your team pull that?"

"Same way as always," JJ said, "They called the FBI, got passed onto me."

"Damn," the other agent said, "So soon after Boston? I know your team is back at work, but isn't it too soon to back in the field?"

"Apparently not," JJ said. "Your copies are finished, Don."

He looked down and gathered them up. "JJ, can I ask you a question?"

She nodded as she walked toward the copier, and started it up. The copies were being scanned and copied out, as she specified the number needed, four each.

"When you guys get back, I was wondering if you and I could go out… on a date?"

She looked at him, surprise on her face, before she let him down, gently saying, "I'm sorry, Don. I'm already in a steady relationship."

He caught her eye, looking for the slightest bit of untruth, but softened and said, "Whoever he is, he's a lucky guy."

She smiled and nodded, "I love him," she said.

He said, "Well then, Agent Jareau, I hope you have a good day. I apologize if I've made you uncomfortable."

"You too, Agent Palmer, and you haven't made me uncomfortable in the slightest."

"Oh JJ," he said smiling, "Your copies are finished."

She looked down, and laughed as she gathered her copies, and walked out of the copy room a few seconds later.

"Hey JJ," Derek said. "What's up with Palmer? He looks like the canary that's been eaten."

She sighed, "He asked me out."

"What?" Spence said behind her. She turned, ready to assure him that she'd turned him down, "I mean, that's completely understandable, JJ. How did he take it?"

She instinctively looked for any sign that her boyfriend was insincere, but mentally slapped herself for it. "He took it pretty good. I explained that I was in love with my boyfriend."

Spence smiled, as Derek whooped behind her.

"Should I go talk to him?" Spence asked.

"No," JJ said, "That would be the absolute worst thing you could do, it would make it seem like you are gloating, when you're not."

He nodded, "Thanks JJ."

"So, Pretty boy," Derek said, "Enquiring minds want to know? What do you and the beautiful Agent Jareau get up to in your spare time?"

"Oh," Spence said, "That's Top Secret."

Her laughter echoed around the bullpen.

She approached her office again, and prepared the four needed case files, making sure all pertinent information was easily visible, as Hotch stopped by her office.

"I heard what happened with Agent Palmer," he said without greeting.

"It was nothing; he asked me out and accepted it when I told him I was in a steady relationship."

"He didn't make you uncomfortable?"

"No," she told him, "Are we almost ready?"

"Yeah, I'm just gathering the others now. Meet in the round table room, five minutes," he said. She nodded, and picked up the five case files, the original and four copies, before exiting her office.

When she arrived, her young genius was already seated. Derek was at his right, and Garcia entered just after she did. Hotch came in, last, and closed the door behind him.

"JJ," he said, sitting as he approached. She picked up the case files, and said, "We're headed to San Francisco, California, to help catch the self-named _Redeemer_."

"_The Redeemer_," Derek said, "Isn't he dead?"

"Apparently not," JJ said, picking up the remote that controls the projector, "This note was found two days ago on the steps of Central Station. It's written in Hebrew, so SFPD haven't been able to decipher what it says."

"I wish Jason were here," Hotch said irritated, "He reads Hebrew flu…" he began.

"_The vile and corrupt have again overstepped their boundaries; the arrogance and hubris have become their undoing. My work is incomplete. You have seventy-two hours before I begin again. I wish you luck," _Spencer said. The team looked at him, and he said, "What? Jason taught me."

They looked at him. "You know I have an eidetic memory? I'm also an autodidact, which means that I am capable of teaching myself far greater than most people. Jason found out that I speak Russian, and asked what other languages I know, so I told him Spanish and French. He said that I should learn Hebrew, so I agreed."

Hotch shared a look with him, and said, "Can you also speak Hebrew?"

"Not even a bit," her young genius said, "I can read and translate easily enough, but I can't write or speak the language well enough to be of any help."

"Those are skills that you have to train in," Hotch said understanding. Spence nodded.

"How comes your Graphology?" he asked, pointing to the letter. Spence stood and said, "I'll need to examine the original, but I went to the library on base, and studied up on it. I'll need to talk to Agent Simmons when I get back, he teaches Graphology at the Academy, but I have an appointment for next Tuesday if we're not on a case."

Hotch nodded, and said, "Garcia, we're going to need you on this case with us. Central Station is being overrun with calls asking if the Redeemer has returned, so they've got no one to help get you set up. Do you have a ready bag?"

She shook her head. It wasn't a surprise, Penelope Garcia had gone on one case in her time at the FBI, and it hadn't ended well.

Alright, wheel's up in forty. Derek, go with her and help her get packed, and meet us at the airfield. We have twenty-three hours to find _the Redeemer_, or he's going to kill again."

Hotch, Spence and she separated from the other two, down to the parking lot, where they grabbed their bags, surprised that they'd managed to park, more or less, near each other.

"Reid," Hotch said, "How are you two handling things?"

Spence looked at him, and said, "I think we're doing well. We've agreed to keep all aspects of our relationship out of the office, if possible, and to try and keep the details of our cases out of our personal lives. It's difficult," he said, looking at JJ, "but completely and utterly worth every minute."

She ducked her head ahead of them, as they approached a standard issue black SUV.

"I heard that Agent Palmer asked JJ out this morning. How did you take that?"

"Under the circumstances, Agent Palmer had no way of knowing that JJ is in a relationship, so I took it to mean that he was physically attracted to her, and wanted to know if she reciprocated. I would assume by the fact that he did not retaliate to her rejection, that he was happy for her, even though he was hurt."

Hotch nodded and said, "Alright. JJ, if Palmer gives you any problems, come to me. He's been reported by various female employees as having boundary issues, such as the tendency to hug them unexpectedly. They have all agreed that if asked to stop, he will do so, and has not placed undue pressure on any of them, but is under surveillance."

She nodded.

When they arrived at the jet, they moved on-board. The pilot came from the front and told them that their take-off was delayed a few minutes by an approaching thunderstorm, but that the NWS didn't expect the rain to take too long to clear.

The next fifteen or so minutes passed in silence, except for pages turning. JJ looked up, and smiled as she saw her boyfriend scanning the report, his face etched in concentration.

It was coming up on forty minutes when the door opened, and Garcia's angry voice said, "And I'll tell you one more thing, Derek Morgan," she said, "I don't care if you're six-feet-one inch of chocolate thunder, if you EVER touch my laptop again, I will bury you six feet under! Do you understand me?"

"Sorry mama," the man said laughingly contrite, "I was just trying to help you along."

She growled at him, her eyes flashing, "You nearly dropped my baby!"

JJ looked at Hotch, who was watching the mounting eruption with amusement.

"How's Haley," she asked him. He looked at her, and said, "Pregnant."

She gasped as Spence looked up, a look of panic on his face. Her face dropped a second later, realizing that she had no idea what her boyfriend thought of children… though she knew what they thought of him.

"How long," Garcia's voice said, excitedly.

"Six weeks," he said, "before…" he said softly again.

"Before Boston," JJ said sadly. "Does Jason know?"

"He does now," Hotch said, "I found out Monday after we returned from Warwick, and I called Jason and told him. He told me that he was ecstatically happy for me, and that he was transferred to the FBI Academy to teach Behavioral Analysis, so that he'd start seeing us more."

"I'm happy for you," JJ said happily. "Do you think Haley would mind some female company when we get home?"

"I think she'd like that," Hotch said.

"Hotch," Reid asked, "Are you excited?"

The man looked at her young genius and said, "To be honest, I'm terrified. So many things could happen. Both Haley and I are recessive carriers for 3-M Syndrome."

"Hotch," Reid said. The man looked at him.

"3-M Syndrome is a genetic growth retardation disorder. Its name comes from the name of the authors who first reported the disorder; Miller, McKusick and Malvaux, in literature, and is identifiable early in pregnancy. Its symptoms are dwarfism, facial dysmorphia, and skeletal abnormalities, but there are usually no signs of mental retardation."

The father-to-be sighed with relief visible on his face, as he said, "Thanks Reid. I'll have Haley make an appointment with her OB/GYN to get tested when we get home."

Spence looked at her, and she smiled at her boyfriend. "Good job," she mouthed to him. He smiled back at her.

"So," Hotch said a second later, "What do we know about the UNSUB."

"A lot," Morgan said, "And nothing at all. We know he's an _organized, mission-oriented_ serial killer that has at least fourteen victims to his name. We know that he kills successful, wealthy men between the ages of thirty-five and fifty, and that he always leaves a note three days before he kills again as a way of taunting the police. He doesn't differentiate between races, seven victims have been white, and seven have been black.

We also know that he named himself for the press, who until the last victim, were hailing him as a hero for taking down corrupt businessmen. He left a letter after killing David Michael MacLeod saying that as long as the city kept its act clean, he'd stop killing.

He also admitting that MacLeod, who had donated millions of dollars to various charities, death was a mistake, that the real victim was Dwight Jordan, MacLeod's next door neighbor and business rival."

"So," Hotch said, "What don't we know?"

"How old _the Redeemer_ is," Spence said, "or even a general description. When he was first hailed as a hero, conflicting reports came in detailing an black male between six foot two and six foot six, a white male five feet four and three quarters inch tall, and a pair of brothers, both six feet two inches tall, one Asian the other Japanese."

"He's never left DNA at a crime scene," JJ said, hoping to contribute, "But he always leaves something behind from a previous victim. The local LEOs think that is his signature. Jason originally consulted on the case about two years ago, so Central Station should have a copy on file. If not, I know that Garcia can download it when we get there."

Hotch nodded.

"What do we have on Dwight Jordan," Hotch asked, "If the UNSUB is starting again, we have to assume that Dwight Jordan is his first target."

"He died two weeks ago, terminal cancer," Garcia said, her hands typing away on her laptop. "His death was reported nationally, since he was the major shareholder in a restaurant chain."

Hotch nodded, "And his family?"

"He divorced from his wife a year after the UNSUB stopped, but not before she gave birth too a baby boy, Dwight Junior. His son has been named his sole beneficiary," the techie said reading the information off of the screen.

Hotch nodded again. "When we get too the station, Derek and I will start on a preliminary profile. Garcia, you'll need to get everything set up for our connection to Quantico. JJ, I'll need you to get started on a press conference as soon as we land. Reid, you'll need to start analyzing the letter. I don't need to tell you that we are running on a strict deadline, you all know your jobs, and we're going to be working with Jason's profile, so we'll go from there."

The team nodded, in a display of uniformity that would have bothered anyone else, if they had never been involved with the Behavioral Analysis Unit before.

After a few minutes of silence, JJ stood and walked over to the coffee machine that was kept on board for longer flights, and started a pot brewing, while her teammates started discussing the details of past cases.

The anxiety felt as they headed towards a new city, a new UNSUB, was familiar yet unwelcomed.

They landed after a few hours, and as soon as they arrived to the station, separated to do their assigned duties. The lead detective, who had initially called for their help, looked appalled at the blatant dismissal, as JJ sighed and said, "Detective Marsden? I'm Jennifer Jareau, we spoke on the phone. I apologize; sometimes our team gets tunnel vision."

The Detective nodded, and said, "Thank you for coming on such short notice, Agent Jareau. Is Agent Gideon with you," he asked looking for the stoic, yet knowledgeable older agent. JJ shook her head, not wanting to explain to the Detective why Jason hadn't come, though she did notice an understanding look cross his features.

"The Agents currently dismantling the case room are SSA Aaron Hotchner and SSA Derek Morgan. Our Technical Analyst, Penelope Garcia, is currently taking over the computers to get our connection up and running, and SSA Doctor Spencer Reid is looking over the UNSUB's letter."

"We still haven't gotten a translator in," the man said, "I'm not sure how he's going to look over it, he's what… twenty?"

"He's twenty-three, and he can read Hebrew, which is the language that letter is written in," JJ said, "If you'll excuse me, I need to get in contact with the local media."

The Detective nodded, and said, "I'll be with your Unit Chief."

JJ nodded, and went about getting hold of her local contacts.

"JJ," Hotch said a few minutes later, "How are preparations for the press conference coming?"

"I can have local media here in about two hours, Hotch. I've also managed to arrange for the previous letters in evidence to be brought up."

"I'll let Reid know to expect them," the man said, "Keep up the good work."

She nodded.

**With Reid**

He entered the room with a whirl of activity, as he approached the officer manning the projector where the most recent letter was displayed. The officer, like so many before him, automatically sneered as he introduced himself, surprise coming across his face as Spencer used his given title, Doctor.

When the officer moved away from the projector, Spencer pulled a pair of latex gloves, and slipped them on his hands, before he approached and picked up the letter, which had been slipped between plastic sheet protectors.

He hurriedly read over the translation, mentally interpreting it with what he'd hurriedly scribbled on the plane. Other than a few incorrect conjugations, he'd gotten it correct.

With that done, he began analyzing the strict, almost proficient way the UNSUB wrote; using the Semitic language itself instead of phonetically. That meant the UNSUB was multilingual. Spencer's mind raced through the various jobs that required a person to speak Hebrew, in the United States, and was about to go talk to Garcia when Hotch came in.

"Hey Hotch," he said, "What can I do for you?"

"Reid, JJ has arranged for the UNSUB's previous letters to be brought in so you can analyze them."

He nodded, "That's a great idea, it'll give me insight into the UNSUB."

"You've got something?" Hotch asked, surprised.

"I'm not sure," Spence admitted, "But like I've been told on many occasions, nothing is unimportant."

Hotch nodded, and said, "Right, nothing is unimportant. What do you have, and why do you think it's important?"

"I've gone over the possible translations to the letter, and I realized something. The letters are written in Semitic Hebrew, which too the layman are nothing but a series of symbols, instead of phonetics. There aren't that many jobs that would require a person to know how to write in Hebrew. What's more," Spence said, "the letter is handwritten, and I can see none of the obvious signs that it was hand copied from another sheet of paper."

"That's good work," Hotch told him, "What types of jobs should we use to narrow our search?"

Spencer said, "Any Ambassador to Jerusalem, or Gaza, would be fluent, as would a college professor who has studied abroad. A high school teacher may know, but again may not. Any local Rabbi would most likely be fluent also. A company officer whose business works in or near any Hebrew speaking nation would also help."

Hotch was about to say something, when the door opened, and an officer came in with a large box. Spencer walked over and opened it gently, before he said, "What all did Agent Jareau ask you to bring?"

"The previous Redeemer letters, as well as a copy of Agent Gideon's initial profile," the officer, suddenly nervous, said. "If there is anything else, Doctor Reid, please let us know."

The man exited swiftly, and Hotch nodded to him, "I'll check back later."

**With Hotch **

He hated that they were so far behind on this case. The UNSUB was meticulous though, always keeping things close to the chest, and never leaving any fabric, any fibers, or anything even close to suspect around the dumpsites. From a forensic point of view, there was literally no case to be had.

And yet, from the point of a view of a Behavioral Analyst, the crime scenes spoke volumes. Hotch knew this as he stepped out of the room where a young genius with an IQ of one-hundred eighty seven was currently, meticulously pouring over every single, solitary aspect of the letters they had… or were they Hotch wondered as the genius walked over to him.

"What's wrong Reid," he asked. Spencer held out the letter to him, his figure tense with exasperation. Hotch looked down, and cursed the ineptitude going on around them.

"Detective Marsden," the unit chief said.

"Yes Special Agent Hotchner," the man said.

"My team requested the letters that you've received on the Redeemer case."

"That's right, I had Officer Martinez bring them too you a few minutes ago, your Agent did sign for Chain of Evidence."

"Yes he did," the man said, "But he needs the originals, not the translations," Hotch said firmly. The Detective paled, his body turning, his shoulders taught with anger as he said, "Martinez!"

"Yes boss," the man said, walking in, his shoulder swaying.

"Get Agent Doctor Reid the originals, now!" the Detective said, anger inflicted in his voice.

"Those aren't written in English, boss," the man said, his voice full of smug hubris. Hotch growled in his throat, and said, "We don't have time for this. Every second you rebel against your bosses decision in asking us here, is another minute closer to the UNSUB killing again. You need to quit seeing our presence here as a remark on your capabilities, and realize that this is what we do. Get Doctor Reid the originals, do it now, or I will have you arrested for impeding this investigation!"

The officer paled, and turned on a dime, running to the door.

"Hopefully," Hotch said his voice full of anger, "This isn't going to come back and bite us in the ass."

Reid nodded at his side, and said, "We've got less than six hours to find the UNSUB."

Hotch, who had been keeping a mental account of the time, sighed.

When the officer came back in, his face was full of impotent anger, as he thrust the box and another evidence form too the genius doctor, who quickly signed the document, and cracked it open, to make sure the disgraced officer wasn't trying to press his luck. Again.

"Well," he asked. Spence nodded and said, "While I have both copies, I'll check compare the two translations. The others were translated within ours of their arrival, so it doesn't make since that this last letter took so long."

Hotch nodded.

The hours passed quickly, and tension was high between the agents and the local officers, who were seeing the winding down clock as a sign of their ineptitude. Hotch had visited Garcia twice, asking her to gather information on the Redeemer from the FBI database, which included Jason's notes and his initial profile, fully written; not just the footnotes version that the police had on file.

He'd visited Reid once more, asking him how the graphology was coming along, when Spencer had only made an offhand comment, his face furrowed in confusion.

"Hotch," he'd said, "I think I know why this last one wasn't translated right away."

When Hotch looked, he noticed it too. Spencer Reid was looking at familiar handwriting, that of his mentor and friend, Jason Gideon. He was glad that, even without him being here, Jason was looking out for his team.

**April 12, 2005: San Francisco, CA, 5:20P.M.**

_He stalked the man with a vengeance, his knife gleaming in the setting sun. He'd hoped that the police would find him, and end his horrid existence. Ever since he'd found out that Dwight Jordan had died, not at his hands like the corrupt slime he was, but as the act of a vengeful, yet merciful God, he'd been enraged._

_Now, as he stalked the large, overweight male currently entering one of San Francisco, California's most popular adult entertainment nightclubs, he swore that he'd never make that mistake again._

_The man exited ten minutes later, as he knew he would. It wasn't the first time he'd seen the man, he'd known him once, six years ago when he lived as an orphan on the streets. The man was a known 'pimp', who sold the services of both men and women, some for same-sex purposes, depending on the mood of the clients. Only pimp wasn't the right word, because each of his employees was one-time, and was never seen again._

_But that was his night identity. During the day, the man was a successful bank manager, who had chosen to supplement his well-paying job with a better paying, less taxed alternative._

_His hands clenched as he watched the man walk down the street, a girl no older than seventeen, if younger, on his arm about to walk into a life she'd never expected, or escape from._

_He exited his car, his knife gleaming as he pulled his hoodie over his head, and walked too the man, Carl Jamesworth's, car. Carl grinned, his eyes holding a maniacal gleam as he moved to open the passenger side door. _

_He approached Carl with anger, and an excitement he hadn't felt in years. With one smooth, gleaming plunge, he stabbed the man in the base of his spine, instantly paralyzing him. The young girl's eyes widened in fear, as blood sprayed across the window. He noticed that she was younger, sixteen at the oldest, and said, "You need to run home, little girl. This man was going to sell you too his clients. Get out of the risqué business, and I need not come for you."_

_She nodded, as fear entered her eyes. The Redeemer smiled, and opened the man's eyes, dead. He felt for a pulse, dead. He lifted Carl's hand, and placed a letter underneath. Then, he pulled a signet ring, bearing the MacLeod Coat of Arms and placed it on Carl's finger, before taking a marker and writing on Carl's uncovered arm._

_I'm sorry._

_That done, he drew an arrow too from the message too the signets ring. MacLeod's death would always be with him, but he couldn't atone himself until his mission was completed. _

_The sounds of sirens were coming closer now, so he moved along the street, and into an apartment building. He walked calmly to an apartment, discarded his jacket and mask, and placed it on a hangar, before he walked up too the top of the roof, and jumped over to the next building, and over to the third, where he entered a roof access staircase, which he walked down. He took an elevator too the bottom, and out of the front door, looking at the scene where police were already taking pictures, and observing._

_He turned; ready to walk away, when a hand touched his shoulder. A tall, well-formed black man stood before him._

"_Excuse me, do you live around here," he asked, showing a badge, FBI? The FBI were here? His mission! What about his mission?_

"_Yes, I was visiting my friend, Ariel, who lives here, but I live in the apartment two doors down. She wasn't home, but I did see Old Mrs. Abernathy while I was in."_

_The man, Derek Morgan, nodded and said, "Did you see anything suspicious a few minutes ago?"_

_The man shook his head, "No, there's always something happening here, gang activity and whatnot. We pretty much learn to ignore strange noises, and such. What happened?"_

_The FBI agent shook his head and apologized, before telling him he could be on his way. He walked over too his car, black and two doors, before he started his ignition. He'd have to call Ariel later, and tell the young woman who was sweet on him that he'd stopped by to ask her out, as too not arouse suspicion. Damn, he didn't have time for this._

"_I think there's a lot of naiveté and hubris within our mix of personalities. That's probably our worst crime. I keep wondering what a 'mature' record means.– Ian Williams"_


	12. Chapter Eleven: Redemption Pt 2 Regrets

_CHAPTER ELEVEN: Redemption Part II: Regrets_

"_There is no redemption from hell. – Pope Paul III"_

"Damn it," Derek Morgan cursed as they entered Central Station later that evening, his fist connecting with the wall. "What the hell is going on here, Hotch?"

"I wish I knew," Hotch said, his voice tinged with irritation and regret.

"Nothing about this case is making sense." Spencer said as he sat down at the table provided to the team, grief evident in the way his shoulders had tensed up. Sitting beside him, JJ could feel her fingers clenching violently as her boyfriend sat blaming himself for not seeing the clues before.

"What do we know about the victim?" Hotch said as Garcia sat down, shock in her eyes; the shock of seeing the violence first hand leaving a mark on their normally vibrant Technical Analyst.

"Carl Jamesworth was the manager at First United Bank and Trust, and was on the fast tract to becoming the president of the bank," Garcia said, her fingers gliding over the keyboard at an alarming pace."

"How are his financials, Garcia?" Hotch asked as her eyes seemed to lose focus, the horror of the day creeping into her mind.

"Astronomically good," Garcia said, "Especially since he was only the bank manager. He was supplementing his income somehow, boss man."

"Any arrests," Morgan asked.

"He has a drunk and disorderly, and two counts of aggravated sexual assault from 1992, when he was eighteen. He did a stint in the caboose, and was released at twenty-two, earning a degree on the government's dime. He was hired by the bank in question because his wife's family owned it before they died, and she inherited it."

"Agent Hotchner," Detective Marsden said a few minutes later, "We have a witness."

Hotch jumped out of seat faster than JJ had ever seen him move, and turned on his heel.

"This is Rebecca Wilson; she claims to have been with the victim just minutes before he died."

"Thank you for coming in, Ms. Wilson," Hotch said, "Would you like to sit down?"

She nodded, and said, "If you don't mind."

Her soothing alto voice sounded young. Hotch frowned but pulled out the chair, and said, "Ms. Wilson…" before she interrupted with a soft 'Rebecca'.

"Rebecca," he began again, "How did you know Mr. Jamesworth?"

Rebecca flushed and said, "I work at Cat's Eyes," she whispered. Hotch looked Detective Marsden, who said, "It's a strip club" in explanation. She flushed and said, "Mr. Jamesworth approached me after I got off stage, and told me that he would pay me a thousand dollars a night to do some model work. I get paid minimum wage," she said.

Hotch nodded.

"Go on," JJ said, reaching over and placing her hand on top of the Rebecca's. She looked at the hand, and nodded.

"Mr. Jamesworth was really sweet, and as we were walking out, he kept telling me that we'd make a fortune together. I was really happy about that, because I have to take care of my parents, they were paralyzed in a car crash two years ago and neither have insurance."

"How old are you," Hotch asked. Rebecca cringed and said, "Seventeen, I'll turn eighteen in five weeks."

The team shared a look, each of them looking at the Detective, who had a furious look on his face and had walked out of the station.

"Can you tell us what the UNSUB looked like," Spence asked. JJ sighed and said, "The bad guy, the murderer" to the young girl, who had a look of confusion on her face.

"I really couldn't see him that well, a yellow street light was shining directly above us and he was wearing a dark hoodie, though now that I think about it I could see his eyes… the top of his hoodie was really too large for his body. Actually all of his clothes were really baggy. Sorry…" she said "he had dark green eyes," The sounds of keys clicking on a board told them Garcia was on it.

"He was about five feet six inches tall. He was white, and from what I could see of his facial hair, he has black hair, at least a black mustache."

"Any scars, or identifying features," Morgan asked. She shook her head, "No, he just looked like a regular guy, you know? But," she paused, "But he sounded like he was really tired. Like he hasn't slept in a really long time, you know?"

"He spoke to you," Hotch asked immediately. She nodded. Hotch shot her young genius a look.

"What did he say?" Spence said.

"'_You need to run home, little girl. This man was going to sell you too his clients. Get out of the risqué business, and I need not come for you'._ It didn't totally make since, because Mr. Jamesworth was going to sell me, in a figurative sense, that's what modeling is."

"I'm sure it didn't mean anything," JJ said even though she could see her teammates had a different opinion.

Her teammates thanked her, and she walked her out.

"Can I ask you a question?" JJ asked as they approached the door. Rebecca nodded, her eyes fluttering in the harsh sunlight.

"How long have you been an exotic dancer," JJ asked. The girl smiled, "Just under a year, I told the owner that I was eighteen, and he hired me on the spot. Like I said, I needed the money to help my parents, and dancing pays well. I've never been ashamed of it, and despite being a dancer, I'm still a virgin."

JJ looked at her and smiled, "Thank you. Would you mind if we called to ask you a few more questions?"

Rebecca shook her head and said, "No Agent."

JJ sighed, "Jennifer Jareau. I just realized that we never introduced ourselves. The younger agent that sat beside me is Spencer Reid. The really stoic agent that asked you most of the questions is Aaron Hotchner. The really tall, well-built Agent is Derek Morgan. Our Technical Analyst is Penelope Garcia."

"Thank you Agent Jareau," Rebecca said.

As she exited, JJ turned, a scowl etched on her face as she walked over too the room where her team was gathered and asked, "Did the UNSUB just kill a human trafficker?"

"He did," Hotch said, "We've already started on a separate profile too see if we can identify his potential victims. What did Ms. Wilson tell you?"

"She started at the club when she was sixteen by lying on her application. The owner didn't bother asking for an ID, and she told me she's still a virgin despite the high-risk atmosphere."

"Good work JJ," Hotch said.

"I can work with that," Garcia agreed.

"I'm guessing that if we look into the background of the other victims, we'll find something similar." Derek said, his face angry as he looked at the screen where five pictures were already displayed of young, black-haired women gone missing in the past three years.

"Hotch," Derek said again, "What the hell is going on here?"

"It looks like we have a vigilante," Hotch told Derek, before sighing, "We have a profile."

"I'll gather the locals," JJ said walking out of the room again.

A half-hour later the team was sat around the room, with the local officers sat at their desks, if they were lucky enough to have them, or standing up depending on who it was.

"This profile is very similar to the one you asked Agent Gideon for, with a few evident differences. He indicated that you were looking for an organized, mission-oriented serial killer. This is correct, however what Jason did not know, that we do now, is that he is a vigilante. He does not have a list, as Jason indicated, because society provides the list for him. All of the victims so far, not counting David Michael MacLeod, have been upstanding members of society on the surface, but were rapists, murderers, and thieves when not under the light of scrutiny."

Hotch trailed off as Derek took over, "The UNSUB is a white male, short, between one hundred ten and one hundred and thirty pounds. He often wears clothes that are too large for him, in an attempt to make it seem like he's bigger than he is."

"If he's so small statured," Officer Martinez began, "How can he get the drop on guys that are almost twice his size?"

"You don't a large stature too plunge a knife into another person, Officer," Derek said.

"While the UNSUB is capable of remorse," Spence spoke up seeing Derek about to lose his cool with the interfering officer, "He only feels remorse for the one victim he didn't actually mean to kill. David MacLeod was a casualty of what he perceives is an on-going war."

"Most importantly," Derek said again after shooting Spence a thankful nod, "He wants to get caught. He's not going to go out in a case of suicide-by-cop. That's what his letters are. They aren't taunts; they're his confessions before the fact."

"His most recent stressor," Hotch said again, "was the death of Dwight Jordan, who died from cancer last year. He saw the death of a man he wanted to bring to justice as a sign that he needed to start again, that David MacLeod had forgiven him. So look for someone that visited his grave on a regular basis that no longer does."

The local officers scattered. "JJ," Hotch said, "We need to get this profile out there. With any luck, the UNSUB will call us."

She nodded.

A couple of hours passed, the team going through a list of suspects that they were discounting based on age, size, death records and such, when JJ's face came too them in front of a camera. Her calm gaze seemed to speak too the room of reporters, as she gave them the profile, and corralled the press too do as she wanted.

"She's really good," Morgan said as he watched her deliver the profile; the ravenous atmosphere of the press not bothering her in the least.

"She is," Spence said beside him, his eyes scanning her serious visage as she corralled the reporters too the pertinent facts.

"Garcia has finished with victimology," Hotch said behind them, his voice tinged with grief. "And along with our most recent victim, Carl Jamesworth, each victim was a criminal in their own right.

The first victim was Marcus Brigham, who beat his nine year old daughter Alicia Jessica so badly that she lost her vision. He was released two years seven months ago, and attempted to get in contact with his daughter, who was placed in protective services almost sixteen years ago.

Victims three and seven, Jeremy James and William Harding, were rapists whose victims only started coming out after their deaths.

Victims two, five and twelve, Steven Danielson, Timothy Warner, and Garret Jones, hired a hit man to kill potential rivals.

Victims four, six, eight, nine and eleven were a group of thieves, known locally as _Los Ladrones Gremio_, who had in the course of their crimes maimed their victims, a few to the point of total paralysis.

The tenth and thirteenth victims were actually customers of Carl Jamesworth, John Jones and Dean Reeves. Their bank statements show steady transfers to Jamesworth's just under the banks' daily limits."

"Damn," Derek said his anger easily evident on his face. "If he hadn't killed MacLeod, I can see the city urging him on, Hotch. The man killed some pretty revolting people."

"Believe me when I say that I understand," Hotch said, "But we can't take the law into our hands. If we did, we'd be no better than the UNSUB's we catch."

"I know that," Derek said, his face full of anger. "If only to bring him to justice for MacLeod, but I know of a lot of families that are going to sing this guys praises for years to come."

"I know," Hotch said, his voice tinged with anger.

**April 12, 2005; front steps of Central Station: 11:30PM**

_He was proud of his accomplishments. Anyone in the crowd around him could see that he wore his pride on his shirt. And though he was a short, statured man, he had a great sense of morals. So, it came as no surprise, that the man had already found his next target._

_The target was vermin, a murderer of children and women. And he'd been found not guilty because the jury believed his sob story, as if a real man would choose his own life over that of his child. The targets hands were stained with innocent blood, and he wasn't being held accountable for it._

_He walked silently too the steps of Central Station, giving his confession to the police. He would be glad for the day he was either behind bars, or dead, but until that day he had a job to do, and he would do it well._

_He just hoped that, when they again meet, that David Michael MacLeod would forgive him, and understand that sometimes collateral damage was unavoidable._

**April 13, 2005: Midnight**

The letter was a bland package, with no distinguishing marks. In fact, it was almost a common sight in any packing store, but the recipient was easily evident on the label.

"_FBI Supervisory Special Agent Doctor Spencer Reid"_

The team, who had only just started packing up for the night, froze as they watched the on-duty officer approach them, a brown package in their hand.

"Doctor Reid," the man said, passing the package to their resident genius. He turned to JJ, who had sat beside him the moment the package was placed in front of them. "Spence?" she asked carefully.

"There are no distinguishing marks, no return address label. And it's clearly marked with my name."

"_The Redeemer_ is getting impatient. He's feeling like the police aren't up to catching him, and bringing him in to atone for his sins," Hotch said.

"Agreed," Morgan said.

"This packaging is completely without any forms of identification. That's strange, because when you buy a packaging slip, the store information is automatically placed in case police need to track them." Garcia said. The team looked at her, shock on their faces as she said, "What? Your goddess knows all!"

"So the only way this could possibly be without that information is if it was taken directly from a store," Hotch asked. Garcia nodded for a moment, "Yeah, and this is a UPS box, they mark all of their packages, so… so we can use this information too find this guy!"

"How," Hotch asked.

"They don't keep these size boxes in front of the counter, the only way you can get access too them, is if you're a worker at the store. So," she said turning too her computer, "all you need to do, my pretties, is give me the profile so that I can narrow the workers down."

"That's brilliant," JJ said smiling as Garcia brought up her system. She started by bringing up a list of UPS store workers. "So?"

"The UNSUB is a white male," Derek said, starting them off. She nodded, "Then, we take that information and place it in our handy-dandy information field, and," she said as almost a three quarters of the names on the list, of which there were sixteen thousand seven hundred and three, disappeared.

"Alright, my pretties, that leaves four thousand one hundred seventy-five names."

"The UNSUB is between five feet five and five feet eight inches tall, and is between one hundred ten and one hundred and thirty pounds."

She did some more figuring, and again a lot of names disappeared.

"Six hundred and ninety-six left," she said, "Matching just that criteria."

"Our witness," Reid said, "Rebecca Wilson claims that the UNSUB has dark green eyes, so I'd check anyone that has green or blue eyes."

"Why blue eyes," Hotch asked. Spence smiled and said, "there was a yellow street light in her area. Sometimes the eye will play tricks on you, and automatically combine certain colors, so I think it would be safe to check both and run them through Garcia's filter."

"I agree," Hotch said a second later. Garcia smiled and put the information into the field.

"You're in luck my pretties, we only have five people matching the description."

"Garcia," Derek said a second later, "Take away anyone that has been arrested, or had a work citation. He does what he does to punish the unjust, so it's safe to assume that he won't have a criminal record."

She nodded, and did so, and too their surprise, three names disappeared from the list.

"Damn," Derek said, "I know who the UNSUB is!"

They looked at Derek, who was pointing at the picture of Daryl Lloyd. He had worked at UPS for seventeen years. Hotch looked at him and said, "Are you sure, Derek?"

"I talked to this guy at the crime scene yesterday, Hotch," he told their unit chief. Hotch's eyes widened and he said, "Why didn't you mention this?"

"I missed the profile," Derek admitted, "I approached the guy because he was walking away from the scene, and he said that there was always something happening so most of the people in the area just ignore it. His story was just plausible enough to believe it, especially when other witnesses in the area corroborate. "

"This happens Derek," the man said, "But the man got cocky. He's never delivered so close between kills before; he usually takes his time to let the heat die down."

"He's escalating," Spence said beside her, "Which means we can set a trap for him."

"Reid," Hotch said, "Go ahead and translate the letter, we need to give the UNSUB the impression that we're still looking for him… it's already on the news that he's delivered again, so he's watching the news too see if we're still interested. You'll also need to be the one who goes in front of the cameras, since he is reaching out to you. Don't let him know we know who he is. Garcia, what is his local address?"

"1117 Eagle Crest Avenue, Apartment 7B," she said, "But he's at work tonight."

"So we'll need to wait for him to be off duty before we approach him, we don't want this guy to take any hostages," JJ said.

They all nodded in agreement.

A few minutes later, Spence was walking up to Hotch and handing him a translation.

"Are you sure this is accurate," Hotch asked. Spence nodded.

_Liars, thieves, rapists… these are all horrible stains on humanity. The sweltering cesspool of inhumanity has become a horrible burden on the face of all hard-working members of society. The next in line, a murderer, has killed his wife and child and gotten away with it. Set free on the ineptitude of the police force and by the lighthearted jurors who should have convicted him. He has been chosen. You have three days to catch me._

"Alright! Reid, I need you and JJ to go in front of the cameras. They usually do this as soon as they have a translation, and he sent the warning to you, so he must have checked up on us, so he'll know something is wrong if we don't do something."

He nodded, and said, "Alright Hotch."

"While you two are doing that, we're going to plan how to take this bastard down."

"No problem," her young genius said, as they walked out of the room. "When they get back, I want a working plan, so we can all get some sleep before we arrest this guy."

The press conference went off without a hitch; even though JJ could see some of the reporters want to ask about her boyfriend's qualifications.

Once the conference was over, they dodged any extra conversation by saying that they couldn't discuss the details of the case, and entered back into the precinct.

Morning came too quickly for the team, who were dressed in their bullet-proof vests, as they walked up the stairs to apartment 7B. They'd asked for all of the buildings tenants too stay inside.

When they reached the seventh floor, Hotch walked to the left of the door, his back against it as he placed his knuckles against the wooden frame. Derek stood in front of the door, and Spence to the right, while she stood beside Hotch, to give them a better covering angle.

"Daryl Lloyd, FBI!"

They could hear scrambling inside as the door unlocked and opened silently. A young woman stood there, her clothes slightly rumpled, and her black hair mussed about as if she'd just got out of bed.

"Can I help you?" she asked. They could see that she was blind.

"We need to speak with Daryl Lloyd," Hotch said, "We're FBI."

"Do you have a badge?" she asked. Spence held his badge out in front of her and said, "It's just in front of your face."

They looked at him for a second, when she reached her fingers up and traced it. "He's in the bedroom. Can I ask why you need to speak with him?"

"And you are?"

"Ariel Abernathy, Daryl's girlfriend. I live across the hall."

Derek's eyes widened as he said, "Ma'am, we're going to need you to move out of the way, please."

She nodded, and took her cane, before tapping the ground in front of her and walking out of the way.

They approached the room with trepidation, and Derek opened the door. Their UNSUB was sitting there, a soft smile on his face as he said, "I'm glad you finally figured out my confession. Tell me, how did you finally catch me?"

None of them were surprised that he hadn't denied anything.

"Daryl, what's going on?"

"Ariel," the man before them said, "I'm sorry for everything you're about to hear. I really did love you… I did all of this for you."

"Did what, Daryl?" the girl asked, fear in her voice.

"Alicia," the man said softly. She stiffened, and her shoulders tensed.

"How do you know that name?"

"You were talking about it with Mrs. Abernathy the first time I met you, asking when it would be safe to start living your life again. She didn't realize that she'd called you by your real name. It didn't take me long to investigate why you, a woman I'd come to know and respect, had changed your name.

Imagine my surprise when I found out what that bastard of your father did… I killed him so that you'd have justice."

"Daryl Jeremy Lloyd, you're under arrest. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be afforded to you. Do you understand these rights as I have given them too you?"

"Let me ask him one last question," Ariel said, as their UNSUB stood without resisting.

"Go ahead," Hotch said.

"Do you regret it?"

"Do I regret it," he said, "No, I gave these animals justice that they'd bribed themselves out of. Now, it's my turn too serve my sentence, and I do so proudly knowing that I helped bring comfort to others."

Ariel sobbed, her breath catching as tears fell down her eyes. And, to their surprise, she said, "I understand Daryl…."

"Do you need us to call anyone," JJ asked as they led _the Redeemer_ away. Ariel shook her head and said, "No, but I need to call my mother. I haven't heard from her in twenty years, and with father dead and his killer behind bars, I can finally move on with my life."

"Good luck," Spence said to the blind woman, before he gave her a card. She looked at him in confusion, but was surprised that she merely nodded and said, "Thank you Doctor Reid. May I see you?"

He nodded, and said, "Yes," before the woman reached up and rubbed her fingers over his face, touching each contour. It lingered on his nose, and over his lips, before she said, "Thank you Doctor Reid."

He smiled, and said, "You too Miss Abernathy. Call me if you need anything."

Ariel nodded again.

When they exited the apartment, Spence placed the crime scene tape on the table and walked out of the door. Ariel was standing beside them still, and she could hear the woman's racked sobs. Instinctively, she reached out, holding the woman too her, as her arms came up and said, "You have a good man Agent Jareau."

JJ gasped slightly and said, "How did you know we're dating?"

"You have hints of his aftershave all over you; it shows that you sit as closely as possible. He, similarly, smells of your perfume, and your lipstick."

"Thank you," JJ said momentarily surprised. Ariel sighed and walked over to her apartment door, tears leaking down her face as she said, "Can you please give Daryl a message for me?"

"We will," JJ told the distraught woman.

"Tell him that I really do love him, but that I wish he had never did what he did."

JJ looked at her boyfriend, taking his hand into hers, and said, "We will, Ms. Abernathy. And call if you need anything."

She nodded, and entered her apartment, the tap of her cane echoing down the nearly empty hall. JJ turned to her boyfriend, and sighed as he took his hand in hers. Her eyes widened as she looked at him, surprise written on her face.

"Spence," she said softly, "What's going on?"

"She's in love with him," Spence told her. "Even knowing what he did to her dad."

"Her father," JJ corrected absently. "He donated the sperm that created her, Spence. A dad is so much more. A dad is there when you're sick, when you're hurt, when your heart gets broken, or when you break a heart yourself. Your dad is there for advice, for counseling, for consoling. Her father beat her, Spence, so she holds no love for him."

Spence nodded.

"Thanks JJ," Spence told her letting her hand go, his professionalism coming back full force as they exited the building. Hotch and Derek had already left, their SUV gone. Spence got in the passenger side, and pulled his seatbelt on, as she got in, and started the engine.

The silence was contemplative as they pulled out of the parking lot. Neither wanted to admit that the case was troubling to them, seeing first hand how corrupting love can be. They knew that it was all-consuming, had first hand knowledge of how powerful it could be.

Now, they had a glimpse of power to the other extreme, killing out of a misguided sense of love.

They pulled into Central Station about fifteen minutes, fighting with mid-morning traffic as they did so. JJ was silent, contemplating what the blind woman had shone them. She looked at her boyfriend, sitting on the passenger side with his head against the glass as he silently unclipped his seatbelt.

"I hope we don't end up like that," Spence told her before his door opened. She sat back.

"I don't want to live a life where I hold no regrets. They make us who we are, just as all of our actions, and all of our decisions, mold us into the person we are. I can't imagine a time where I'll ever enjoy taking the life of an UNSUB."

She nodded, "I know. And it's going to be hard on Ariel… Alicia… because she gave herself to the man. How is she going to live with the knowledge that he did what he did too give her justice.

"Not justice," Spence said, "That's how he sells it to himself. It's vengeance, nothing more or less. He's proud of himself now, but he won't be forever. Sooner or later, he'll look back on his life and see what he's done."

Hours passed in relative silence, _the Redeemer_ having given a full confession too Hotch without any semblance of fear in his eyes. It was as they were packing up to leave, their jet ready, that the man made a final, eerie statement.

"My conscious is clear. The men I killed were deserving of death, and for that I'll sleep well tonight. How will you sleep knowing that because of you a man that murdered his wife and child is walking the streets, ready to strike again?"

Hotch, his voice hard, turned and said, "I'll sleep well knowing that if the man starts again, my team and I will catch him, just like we caught you, Daryl."

"_He had to deal all at once with the packed regrets and stifled memories of an inarticulate time. – Edith Wharton_


	13. Chapter Twelve: Quality

_CHAPTER TWELVE: Quality_

"_The Quality, not the longevity, of one's life is what is important. – Martin Luther King, Jr."_

**April 13, 2005: 11:30 AM**

JJ sighed as the jet landed. Her back cracked with a sudden, jarring movement. Still, as she looked out of the window, she sighed at the familiar sight before her.

She touched her boyfriend on the arm, waking him from a contented sleep. None of the team had slept the night before, after receiving Daryl Lloyd's package, they'd stayed up till the early vestiges of morning. They were just glad the manic vigilante hadn't resisted arrest. Tempers were flared enough.

"Good morning JJ," Spence said, wiping Morpheus' gift from his eyes. She smiled, ignoring Derek's mimicry, as she said, "Good morning Spence."

"Alright everyone," Hotch said standing up as the jet finished taxiing, coming to a stop in the middle of the tarmac. "I've cleared us for a long weekend. So today and tomorrow, finish up your reports, clear out your desk, and then I don't want to see you until Monday."

Their unit chief smiled, a bit happily, and turned before running down the airstair.

"He seems anxious," Spence said matter-of-factly. She rolled her eyes and said, "His wife is pregnant, Spence. He wants to get home and see her."

Spence nodded, and she smiled, watching his beautiful mind at work. She smiled, watching as Derek and Penelope stepped off the jet, before leaning down and capturing his lips with hers.

He gasped, but responded without hesitation. He curled handfuls of her hair, and pulled her closer to him, her legs coming to straddle him. For the briefest of moments, the fact they were on the BAU jet, returning from a trying case, meant nothing.

"That was amazing," JJ gasped as she pulled away, her breath heavy, lips swollen.

"And entirely foolish," Spence said, having respiratory problems of his own, "But worth it."

She grinned, a cheeky smile on her face as she stood, smoothing her skirt in one swift motion, as she pulled her boyfriend up off the seat. She smiled at his visible reaction to her, and the flush of his cheeks, as she swayed in front of him.

She could feel his burning gaze.

They debarked one after the other, and arrived to their cars a few minutes later. Luckily, she thought, the rest of their team had already left, so there weren't any uncomfortable silences, or recriminating looks.

Only her boyfriend's burning gaze.

They arrived back at the office separately. She ignored Morgan; who whooped when she passed him, and Garcia; who shook her head at his immaturity, his teasing comment falling on deaf ears. She briefly felt sorry for her boyfriend, who wouldn't be able to escape Derek's teasing.

"Where's Hotch," she asked, ignoring Derek's knowing look. He smirked at her blatant subject change, but answered anyway. "He went on home, Haley called a few minutes after the goddess and I arrived. She needs Saltine's and Ginger Ale. He took his files with him, and said that he'd see us later. I don't think we'll be seeing him until Monday."

She nodded and walked to her office, laughing as Garcia snarked, "It looks like our favorite angelface and her junior G-man got some nook, my chocolate god."

Her office, to her slight relief, was only slightly more cluttered than normal when she entered. There were about ten new cases, on top of the thirty from before, which she would need to review and separate to the appropriate specialist. Derek, she knew, specialized in obsessive behaviors, like getting into the mindset of a bomber, or stalker, so those cases would go to him.

Hotch specialized in pretty much every aspect of the BAU, but mostly knowing the mindset of murderers, and rapists. He had confronted so many of these people that he could look at them and know what they ate for breakfast that morning.

Spence, dear God what didn't her boyfriend specialize in? With all his different degrees, she knew she could give him pretty much every file in front of her, and he could give an accurate profile.

Thinking about it, she realized that he pretty much loved to focus on the cases that made him think. Whether it was a case where he had to track down the missing pieces of an Ottendorf cipher, or using his knowledge to create a geographic profile, was when her genius shone.

She perused each of the cases carefully, going over each one and thinking about the traits of each of her co-workers. An hour later, she was well into her pile, about sixteen files in, when a knock came at her door. She looked up, and smiled before waving her visitor in.

"Hey honey," she whispered as he entered her office, and smiled as he sat down, a soft grin on his face.

"Hey," he said, "I'm heading out to get some food for the team, and need to know what you want."

She smiled, pushing a strand of her hair back behind her ear, as she said, "surprise me."

He nodded, confusion clouding his face. She could tell that he was profiling her already, his fallback when he was unsure of the route to take in a situation, and stood.

"Spence," she said softly, "You don't need to profile me. You already know what I like to eat, and what I don't."

He nodded slowly, and stood up, his hand going to the knob and turning it on reflex.

"I'll be back later," he said aloud before whispering those three little words she loved to hear. Her body flushed at hearing those three little words.

"I love you too," she said equally quiet to her boyfriend, and noticed as he stiffened upon hearing her. She could see the back of his neck, flush with the euphoria of their relationship.

Once he had left the office, she returned to her work, attempting to get a few more files in before she packed up for the day. So, it wasn't a surprise when he returned, forty-five minutes or so later, with a white cardboard box in his hand. She took the box, wondering what he had decided on for her, and smiled when she noticed it.

"Really," she asked looking at the steaming chicken Alfredo before her, a soft smile on her face. He nodded. "I got myself the same thing. I was thinking that we could eat lunch together."

She nodded, and had him pull a chair up to her desk, and smiled. She had never actually told him that it was one of her favorite meals. She just told him that her mother had made it often when she was a child. But, just knowing that he recognized that made her feel all the more special.

They ate in comfortable silence, occasionally sneaking looks to one another as time went on, and averting their gazes when the other would try to catch them. It was a game as old as time, but she enjoyed it more than she could ever express.

"Thanks Spence," she said softly, "I hadn't realized how hungry I was until now."

"I figured," her boyfriend smiled, "You lose yourself in work."

Rolling her eyes, JJ said, "Really?"

He nodded, a soft smile on his face, before he frowned and turned back to the door. "Well, I need to get back to work. I'm sure Derek has taken the opportunity to 'sneak' me some more of his files."

"You need to call him on that," JJ murmured. Her young genius merely laughed and walked out of the room, a soft stride to his steps as he said, "We'll see."

She watched his retreating steps, and watched him sit as Derek kept watching the pile that she knew Spence had already scanned through, and paused as he came to one. She watched Derek's eyes widen, and saw Spence turn to her, before winking.

Then he turned back to Derek, and said something that caused the profiler to laugh. She wished she'd heard what was said, even with Spence repeating it verbatim it wouldn't have the same humor; it was one of the perils of having an office away from the rest of the team.

Finally, five o'clock came, and without hesitation, she stacked her unfinished case files off to a separate file in front of her inbox, so she could give them first priority in the morning. She entered the bullpen and watched Spence scanning his last file, briefly feeling jealous of his ability, and watched him write up a preliminary profile the likes that would have even impressed Jason.

Then, he sat his file down, and stood as she approached and said, "Are you ready?"

She nodded.

"See you tomorrow, Derek," she said smiling as Spence fell in step with her. She wished, for the briefest of seconds, that he would kiss her damn their rules, but knew that he wouldn't.

"Are we staying at your place or mine, tonight," she asked when they exited? Spence smiled and honestly said, "As long as I'm with you, I don't care. That said, I really do want a change of clothes."

She smiled, laughing slightly as they approached their cars, and said, "I'll meet you at your place, alright Spence?"

He nodded and said, "JJ?"

She turned.

"Would you mind terribly if I made reservations for dinner tonight?"

Her eyes widened and she shook her head, slowly. He smiled and said, "Then might I suggest something… provocative yet formal and I'll pick you up about 8:00?"

She nodded again, her mind a whirl. "I'll see you in a few hours, Spence."

He nodded again. She didn't remember getting to her apartment, didn't remember even getting in the shower. Her mind was racing, trying to figure out what Spence was planning, or why?

He wasn't one for spontaneity, usually, so for him to bring this up now of all times was confusing. She went to her closet, and smiled as she grabbed her dress. He wanted provocative? Great!

She hung her dress on a rung on her closet door, smoothing it through the plastic cover. She wanted to wait to as close as possible before getting fully dressed, going instead with her red lingerie, and stockings. After all, it was her house.

Seven thirty came faster than she thought, and her heart started racing as she looked at the dress she planned on wearing. What if he didn't like it, thought it too revealing? She was more than a bit frightened, her feelings for her boyfriend of three and a half weeks suddenly more real and terrifying than anything she'd ever felt.

Still, no sense in hesitating… she never had before. She sprayed her perfume lightly into the air, stepping through as had become almost second thought, then walked over to her dress, and smiled. Then lightly, she pooled the fabric at her feet, glad that she had her carpet shampooed weekly, and stepped into the dress, pulled it up, instinctively straightening any creases in the fabric as she did so. Her hands almost ghosted against the silk caressing her.

It was a few minutes later that a knock came at her door. She walked to the door, her heart racing, and before she opened the door, she took a look in the mirror. She smiled, and a second later gasped again, her breath escaping her.

Her boyfriend wore a black, three piece suit with a white shirt. His suit jacket was open, except for the top button, which was clasped as an afterthought. He smelled of his unique cologne.

She could feel his electric gaze, and smirked inwardly.

Her dress was a shimmering red, and reached to just below the knees; showing just enough leg to invite them to look, but keeping the real surprises for later.

"You look effulgent, Jennifer," he said, his eyes gazing upon her. She smiled, wondering for the briefest of moments what it meant.

"You shine brighter than the sun, radiant. There are so many ways to describe how captivating you are at this moment," he whispered, stepping closely to her, and guiding their lips together.

She lost her breath at his touch, and deepened their kiss, which ended all to briefly.

"Are you ready," he asked? She grabbed her purse, leaving her cell phone behind. She wanted nothing to interrupt their evening, and knew that, if their luck held out, she'd be returning to a voice box full of messages.

Then, she took his hand, and walked out of her front door.

"You look stunning too, Spence," her voice finally returned. He looked too her from his side, and smiled.

"I made reservations at the first restaurant I came to in the area. It's an important part of what brought me into the BAU, and so a part of what brought you into my life. I'd like to share that with you, Jennifer."

She asked him softly, "Where are we going?"

"_The Globe & Laurel Restaurant_," he said softly again. She nodded, and took his hand. The drive over, fifteen minutes from her apartment was filled with small chatter. They had been out on dates before, but the atmosphere between them was excruciating. She felt nervous, excited, clumsy, and electric all at once.

When they arrived, she let him take the lead, not at all uncomfortable. It was a rare occasion when her boyfriend wanted to impress her to this extent and so far he was doing a wonderful job.

"Reservation for Spencer Reid," he said too the receptionist, who said, "You asked for a seat in the Hoover Room, Mister Reid."

She looked at him for a second, waiting for him to correct the man who was staring snootily down at him, but Spence just nodded. They walked, silently, through the almost quiet restaurant. She looked around, and was amazed by the history she could see on the walls, and ceiling; badges from each area of Law Enforcement adorned all around them. FBI, CIA, NCIS, U.S. Marshalls, Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines. Each and every walk of military and civilian service was represented around them.

It was highly memorable.

They were finally there, the Hoover Room. Her surprise was easily evident. A plaque on the wall dedicated the room to the first head of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover.

"No wonder you wanted us to come here," she said softly.

Dinner was a splendid affair. Spence regaled her with stories of his life before Quantico, of his teachers at Caltech, and MIT. He told her, whether in a joking or serious mood, that Yale was his safety school.

She shared more of her old life in North Versailles. She talked about Jeffrey, and how Melissa's pregnancy was running roughshod over her hormones. She told him about her sister, who's name was Julia, committing suicide after giving her a necklace, and how that affected her when it came to suicide cases. Spence sighed, placed his hand against her left cheek and whispered "I'm sorry," to her.

Then, to lighten the mood, he told her that during pregnancy, a woman's libido mimicked a teenage male going through puberty. She slightly smiled, and said, "Jeffrey must be heaven right now, then."

Once their meal had finished, and they had paid, Spence smiled and asked her if she'd like to go out dancing. Her eyes lit, and she nodded, before she grasped his hand, and they walked back to his car, her head leaning on his shoulder.

They went back to his apartment, where they both grabbed a change of clothes. She smiled, and hung her dress up, before quickly dressing in an extra pair of blue jeans and a white, almost see-through shirt. Then, turning to her boyfriend, she almost lost her air as he was dressed in a pair of black jeans and a green shirt.

Her breath hitched at the site of him. Instinctively, she moistened her lips, and stepped closer. Deciding that dancing could wait, she threw caution to the wind, swiftly grabbing and kissing him. She started shivering as his hands automatically ran up her side, and softly, firmly cupped her breast through the fabric of her shirt. She pulled him closely into the crook of her arms, and fell back on his bed, groaning as he covered her welcoming body.

She could feel every inch of him against her, and it felt wonderful.

She roamed his chest, tugging his shirt out from his jeans and pulling it over her boyfriend's head, parting their kiss for seconds at the most. Almost immediately, his lips recovered hers, as one hand pulled her shirt loose from her jeans. She reached down, her eyes searching his, and pulled her top from her body. She gulped, the awe etched onto his face entrancing.

_Daringly, she pushed him away and placed her elbows underneath her, sitting up. Then, her eyes locked with his, she unclipped her bra, and let it fall to the floor beside her as her body fell back to the mattress._

"_Spence?" she asked, her teeth biting her lower lip in contemplation…_

**April 15, 2005: 6:35AM**

When they woke the next morning, it was too Spence's alarm going off, instead of a phone call like usual. His arousal was evident again, intruding slightly into her uncovered core. She shivered, remembering the night before in vivid detail. She was startled by Spencer waking up, a groan the only acknowledgement that he was even close.

"Was last night a dream," he asked cautiously, his voice holding a timbre she'd never heard before? She pressed her naked body to him, adjusting her position and whispered, "Not unless we're dreaming now, Spence."

Her eyes closed as he pulled her body closer to his, and kissed her solidly.

"If you keep doing that we won't make it to work," she said, pressing her body into his. A contented sigh issued from her parted lips.

Neither noticed as they slipped back to sleep.

It was 7:30 when his alarm went off again. Spence slipped out of bed, and immediately she felt the lack of warmth as she sat up, and watched him walk to the bathroom. She grinned, and stood, walking over to him, before greeting him with an exuberant kiss before he began showering.

He goofily grinned at her, and cupped her right cheek, as he said, "Good morning, Jennifer."

She shuddered at the possession in his voice as she said, "Good morning, Spence."

"Thank you for an amazing gift, JJ," he whispered to her, his forehead resting against hers. She took in his scent, which was a mix of her own, and said, "Thank you for not letting your fear rule you last night."

He nodded. "I was more afraid of what was going to happen this morning."

"You thought it would all have been a dream?"

"Or that you'd regret what happened, and I'd never see you again," he admitted, his arms pulling her too him, as if taking comfort in their nakedness. She wrapped her arms around him, and reminded herself to see just what all her boyfriend had been through in his life to expect the other shoe to drop.

"I want many more nights like that," she whispered to him, her breath hitching as she realized that it wasn't just words to placate him. She really did, she had a taste of perfection, and now… now she'd do anything to have it again.

She felt his mouth curve under hers, and his lips press to hers, as he said, "So do I."

She smiled. Neither moved, both content in their closeness enough to not worry about dressing as yet. It was the alarm going off for a third time that drew them back too the world around them.

"Let me use the bathroom," he said, "then you can take the first shower."

She smiled, shaking her head when she thought about pulling him into the shower with her this morning. She knew that last night had come close to breaking him, and knew that the coming weeks would be full of reassurance and, if she had her way, encore performances, but he'd pulled through as far as JJ could tell.

He exited a minute later, and smiled as he eyed her body, before he moved to the side. Deciding to be a bit playful, JJ looked back at him and winked before she entered the bathroom.

Thirty minutes later, she exited the bathroom to find Spence sitting naked on the bed, all of the clothes scattered about the room last night on the bed. A towel was lodged over his shoulder, and as she exited the bathroom, he stood and walked toward her, and drew her in for a heated kiss, before he entered the bathroom.

She laughed as she heard the water turn on, and listened to him starting to hum Scheherazade.

She dressed in the same clothes she wanted to wear dancing last night; they were clean and already out after all. When Spence came out of the bathroom, he gulped at her, and said, "You might want to put on another shirt, Jennifer."

She looked at him, and her eyes widened as she realized that she put a white shirt on her wet body. She laughed, and walked to the closet, grabbing a black shirt that she was sure belonged to Spence, and slipped it on. Since they weren't going out of town today, she was going to convince her boyfriend to dress casually.

To her surprise, he did the same as her. The black jeans and emerald green shirt from last night lined his frame perfectly. She moistened her lips and walked toward him.

He shook his head, and said, "We have work."

She pouted, knowing he was right.

He smiled, unable to hide the grin that wanted to shoot onto his face whenever he looked at her. She smiled, and walked over to his safe; entered his combination, 10-09-16-03, grabbed his gun and ammo from inside, and clipped it before grabbing his badge. She walked over to place them in the appropriate areas before saying "Fine, but we'll need to go by my place so I can pick up my badge and some fresh clothes for my ready bag. If you want," she said noticing that he had both bags in his hand, "I'll set our clothes to wash while we're gone, and we can dry them when we get back tonight."

He nodded and wrapped her in his arms again, placing a slight kiss to her forehead, as he said, "Of course. JJ," he said softly as she turned to exit their apartment.

She turned back.

"I love you."

A large smile erupted onto her face, as she heard those words, barely spoken. He wasn't afraid anymore, but was still so uncertain of what to do now.

"I love you too, Spence," she said.

The ride too her apartment was full of conversation; from reminiscing last nights details, to him telling her all about the history of the Grafenberg Spot, and why she had such intense orgasms the night before. She was blushing heavily, remembering those same moments, as she smacked his leg with a goofy laugh escaping her.

"I'm afraid I've turned you into a sexual deviant, Doctor Reid," she said teasingly. He shook his head and said, "No, but you have released years of pent up sexual urges, Jennifer."

She shuddered again, wondering what it was about him calling her by her given name so authoritatively that drew her to him. It was becoming a lifeline to her.

When they arrived too her apartment, she quickly grabbed their ready bags, and kissed him, before telling her young genius that she'd see him at work. He smiled, and honked his horn at her as his car backed out of the parking lot and turned away. Once he was fully away, she gingerly walked up the stairs to her apartment, a song in her heart, as she approached her door.

Once inside, she went to her safe, and twisted the handle firmly after inputting her own combination, 01-05-01-37, and pulled her gun and ammo, loaded her gun, and placed the badge on her hip.

Then, she went to the closet and grabbed one of her other white shirts, thankfully she was dry this time, and put it on. She pulled the soiled garments from both ready bags, before going to the closet and pulling down a set of her own clothes and softly smiled as she realized that she had some of his here already.

Bags packed, she picked the soiled garments up and walked over to her washing machine, and started a cycle. Her job finished, she grabbed both bags again, and walked out, her eyes scanning her clean apartment making sure she wasn't forgetting anything.

Mind assured, she walked gingerly down the steps, a dull ache reminding her of the night's activities.

She smiled as she saw her car, and placed both their ready bags in her trunk.

She arrived to the BAU a couple of minutes late, and noticed that he was sitting in his car waiting for her. A smile erupted on her face at his thoughtfulness, as she noticed that he had stopped for breakfast on the way in.

Derek grinned as he saw them, a large, knowing smile erupting on his face as he stood up and said, "My man Doctor Reid got a little lovin' last night!"

Spence blushed, his eyes averting as he realized that Derek knew, "That's top secret!"

JJ laughed before she separated from her boyfriend and said, "And it will stay that way, Derek Morgan. You do not want to mess with me!"

Derek laughed, not threatened in the least by JJ's not so concealed threat, as he walked over too Spence, knocked his arm around her boyfriend's shoulder and pulled him away for a little kiss and tell. She'd feel upset, if this was any normal workplace, but the BAU was as close as family and secrets in this family were non-existent.

Plus, watching Derek get frustrated when Spence dodged his questions was absolutely hilarious.

"He seems happy," a gruff, yet welcome voice behind her drew her attention. She turned, a gasp escaping from her lips as she laid eyes on him. "Jason! Spence is going to be so happy to see you!"

Jason smiled at her, his all-knowing eyes looking through her as he said, "I hope so. I have missed being with you all."

She nodded, when she heard her boyfriend approaching. She smiled, and stepped to the side, as she knew he wouldn't be able to dodge her in his excitement. She felt him pass and seconds later, embracing his mentor with a large hug and pat on his back.

"Hello Spencer," Jason said after the short embrace ended, "How are you doing?"

"I'm good Gideon," Spence said, a soft hitch in her boyfriend's voice. She knew that her young genius saw the older man as a father, and their separation had been hard on him. It made since, especially with the condition his mother was in. "I thought you were at the Academy?"

"I am," the older man said, "And today is my first day back after what happened," the man said his eyes reflecting what they all still felt. "But I had to come by and see everyone, to apologize for not coming back, and to tell you all how proud of you I am for pulling together."

"Thanks Gideon," Derek said walking up to them at a more sedate pace, "I think I speak for everyone here when I say it's good to see you, regardless of what you're choosing to do at the moment. We've all missed you around here. It's been a darker place without you around. You'd be proud of Pretty Boy, though, he really stepped up his game."

She saw Spence blush and said, "I just wanted to make you proud, Gideon."

Jason smiled and took in the younger agents. A soft grin came to his face as he noticed the lack of distance between the two younger agents in the group.

"I am proud of you, Spencer. I heard about the most recent case the team took, and was impressed when I found out that your insights helped catch _the Redeemer_. That goes for all of you," the man said firmly, "It seems to me you're all doing exceptionally on your own. I am proud of each of you for not letting the tragedy breaks you apart."

They all smiled, glad to have the approval of their mentor.

"Thank you," JJ said, "How do you think you'll like teaching at the academy?"

"It's going to be different," the older man admitted, "these are hardened law enforcement professionals, and they're going to have problems adjusting to a new way of thinking. They're like you were," he said to Derek, "When you first joined the BAU. But I know that they'll come around eventually. Well, since you're all here, I'd like to invite you all too come by my cabin for a barbeque this weekend. I've already invited Aaron and Haley, and they've agreed to come, and I've spoken to the computer girl… Penny?... and she's agreed also."

"You just do that to irritate her," Spence told the man a grin on his face. Jason nodded. "So?"

"I'm in," Derek said happily. She watched Spence go to agree, before he paused and turned to her. She laughed, and caught Jason, whose knowing smile said it all, "We'll be there."

The man laughed, and said, "Good, I'll see you all tomorrow. We'll make a day of it," the man said before he turned to back to his office, where a box of his things was sitting on the desk. Then, with a smile, Jason turned and said, "Oh, and congratulations you two."

JJ sighed, knowing what the man was talking about as she sighed and said, "Thanks Jason."

When their mentor left a few minutes later, she walked into her office, already missing Spence's presence beside her. She snarled at the slightly grown mound of files on her desk, and got to work, wishing for the briefest of moments that she had an eidetic memory like her young genius.

Work passed slowly enough for her, though she made two separate trips to the bullpen to hand out the files that accumulated on her desk overnight. She could actually see it!

Her last trip was to place a few files on Hotch's Inbox, with a note to say that he was out on personal leave, and to leave them alone that he'd take care of them when he got back. The note was too the night janitor, who would take any loose files to her office if they weren't properly labeled.

"Hello Agent Jareau," Agent Palmer said as she approached the break room. She turned too him, and smiled slightly before saying, "Agent Palmer."

"Call me Donald," the man said magnanimously.

"JJ," she said. "How was your case?" she asked him, as she made a coffee. Spence was walking over too the room, so she made a second for him, adding way too much sugar. Donald's voice cracked and said, "Who drinks that much sugar in their coffee?"

"Doctor Reid," she said as her young genius entered the break room. She held the cup out for him, and felt a jolt of electricity run up her arm where his fingers brushed hers. Her boyfriend smiled, and said, "Coffee," Before he grinned happily at her. "Thanks JJ. Derek is on his break too, he just went to grab Garcia. We were wondering if you were free to get lunch."

She smiled and nodded, before turning and saying, "Donald, you know Spencer Reid?"

"I haven't had the pleasure," the Agent said. "I've heard a lot about you, though Doctor Reid; very impressive work on _the Redeemer_ case. It's already travelling around Quantico that you translated in a couple of minutes what took professionals hours, and that it helped narrow down the profile."

"It was a team effort," Spence told the man as he sat beside JJ, who had sat down only seconds before. She looked up as Derek approached with Garcia behind. The woman squealed happily as she entered, and said, "Angelface is what my chocolate god told me this morning true?"

JJ, having a good idea what the woman was talking about, nodded. She noticed Donald eying them speculatively, and saw him resign to something, before he stood.

"Well," the other media liaison said, "I need to get back to the team. It's been good to see you Agent's Jareau, Morgan, Garcia and Doctor Reid. I'll see you all when we get back from Bogota. The Columbian authorities have asked for our help in identifying an UNSUB. I need to gather the case files and present the case."

"That's gross," JJ muttered, "Couldn't you have waited until after I ate my food?"

Donald shook his head with a smirk on his face, and walked out of the break room.

"Are you two ready to go for lunch?" Derek asked when he left, not wanting to appear rude. "Maybe baby girl can get you to spill the details of your wild and crazy night?"

JJ looked to her boyfriend, and they stood together as Spence rolled his eyes and said, "Don't hold your breath."

She giggled, seeing the challenge in Garcia's eyes at hearing her young genius' words.

They left the building together, deciding to get lunch from a local diner instead of the on-base cafeteria.

"So," JJ asked as they were driving, using instead a standard issue SUV in case they were called away for a case. "Have you all finished your case reviews?"

"I have," Spence told her, "I'm in the middle of writing out a profile for the ones that need them, and calling the local police force with the information they were missing for the ones that don't. I have about fifteen left to write out."

"I have about seventeen left," Derek said, "But unlike Pretty Boy here, I have to do the reviews and write out the profiles all at once. I doubt I'll get through them today," he admitted.

"I can take a few off you," Spencer told the man a soft smile on his face. Derek smiled, a grin on his face as he said, "Are you sure, Pretty Boy? I'm sure your lovely lady might be a bit upset in that case."

Spence blushed and turned to her. She tried, for about half a minute, to go for stern, before she blushed and kissed him. "You wouldn't be the man I love if you didn't offer, Spence."

He smiled, and shot a happy smile to the group. Derek whooped as Garcia squealed in excitement.

"Give me details," the woman said!

"They're top secret," Spence said firmly. JJ groaned, "You realize that you just told them there were details, Spence?"

He paled and said, "S-sorry JJ!"

She shook her head and clasped his hand, about to respond, when a waitress came up to the table. She eyed Derek appreciatively, before saying, "Hello, I'm Denise and I'll be your server today."

The table quieted as she said, "Would you like to hear about our special?"

"Please," Derek said. She noticed him eying the waitress in return. Curiously, she turned to see Spence's reaction to the beautiful woman, but noticed that he was barely cognizant of the woman in front of them.

"Our special today is a thick T-bone steak marinated in a light lemon and thyme sauce, a large stacked potato and garden-fresh salad with choice of dressing. For beverages, we have tea, Pepsi, Coca Cola, Beer or choice of wine."

"Derek looked at the table, and said, "We'll take four specials. For drinks, I'll have an iced tea."

"Same," Garcia said immediately.

"Make that three," Spence said happily. JJ shrugged and held up four fingers. The waitress nodded, and said, "Your orders will be here in a few minutes."

"So," Garcia said, "Angelface, how was it?"

JJ blushed heavily and said, "I'm not sure I feel comfortable talking about this, Pen."

Penelope sighed said, "Listen Angelface, I live vicariously through you and the junior G-man here. So, I need details!"

JJ eyed her boyfriend, who was attempting to ignore the conversation, and Derek, who was all ears.

"It was amazing," JJ said a minute later. Spence's eyes shot to her, a full blush erupting on his face as he hissed, "JJ!"

She leaned down, and kissed him softly. "Don't worry, Spence, that's all they're getting out of me."

He smiled and said, "Then I second that. Amazing with a side of awe-inspiring," and chuckled at her dark blush.

Derek whooped again, drawing the entire restaurant's attention. "Sorry," the man said after a few seconds of awkwardness.

After lunch ended, and they arrived back to the office, JJ separated from her family after Derek handed Spence a few of the cases at the bottom with a firm, "Thanks Pretty Boy".

She worked diligently for the next four hours, happy with the large dent she made in her case files, and stood to escape the horrors of her job for the rest of the day. She exited her office, closed, and locked the door behind her. Then, quietly she walked over to see if Spence were ready, to find him almost through his large pile, even with the six or so files Derek gave him, while the older agent was only about two-thirds of the way through.

It was evidence of Spence's genius at work.

"Hey JJ," Spence said looking up to see her, "Are you ready to head out?"

She nodded. He looked down at his pile and said, "I just need about fifteen minutes, alright?"

She smiled gratefully, and nodded again, her eyes sunken as details of horrendous cases run through her head.

"Take a seat," her boyfriend suggested as he smiled at her. She smiled and pulled up Jill's old chair, thankful that the bureaucrats hadn't realized yet that they had six sets of extra office supplies yet, and sat beside her boyfriend as he quickly wrote up the last three of his profiles, or made a call to give the detectives a crucial detail that would break the case.

When he was finished, Spence stood, stretching his back. She smiled, grabbed her coat and said, "We'll see you tomorrow Derek."

Their friend smiled and wiggled his eyes suggestively, before he said, "Have a good night; you two… don't do anything I wouldn't!"

"That doesn't leave much to the imagination, does it?" she murmured as Spence smiled brightly.

They checked out of the building about fifteen minutes later, and gave him his ready bag, a soft smile coming to his face as he said, "Thanks JJ. I'll meet you at your place?"

She nodded, and said, "Sure, where are you going?"

He smiled, "That's top secret!"

She groaned, but nodded as Spence kissed her and said, "I'll see you in about an hour, JJ."

Nodding, JJ said, "I love you, Spence."

"I love you too," he said softly as he climbed in his car. She climbed into hers, and pulled out. She watched as he pulled out, and turned the direction opposite hers, before he honked back at her.

When she arrived back at her apartment, she quickly opened her safe and placed her gun, ammo and badge inside, before she sighed and walked over to her television. Turning on her DVR, she selected the first thing on her list, American Idol, and pressed play.

She barely remembered falling asleep minutes later.

"Jennifer," a voice called out to her. Her eyes fluttered open with hardly a bit of hesitation, as she looked up to see her boyfriend's curious gaze. She looked around, surprised that she was in her living room, and said, "I must have been tired, honey."

He nodded, and said, "I brought dinner."

Her eyes lit as she stood up, and walked to her kitchen, where Chinese boxes were set out on the table. She noticed that, while she had a pair of chopsticks, Spence had only a fork, even though there was another set in the bag.

"You're not going to use chopsticks, Spence?"

He shook his head and said, "I can't. It's frustrating, because I can do sleight of hand so easily!"

She blushed, as a memory of the night before came to her mind.

"Here," she said taking his set and breaking them apart. Then, she took a rubber band from her hair, and wrapped it tightly around the top of the sticks. Then, she took a piece of the paper wrapper, and stuck it between the sticks, near the very top.

"This will teach you how to pick things up with the chopsticks. That's more important when learning to use them than finger placement. Once you can pick up the food, I'll teach you how to use them properly, alright?"

He sighed in slight relief. JJ grinned, "Who knows, next time the team goes for Chinese, you can impress Derek with your knowledge. We all know you get enough teasing from him for things."

Spence merely nodded a large smile on his face as he said, "Thanks, JJ."

Once dinner was finished, and the leftovers placed in her refrigerator, JJ quickly cursory cleaning around her apartment. Spence grabbed their clothes from her dryer, and ironed them, before hanging them into her closet. She smiled, wondering how they'd become that type of couple even before they were intimate.

As they went to bed that night, each was more nervous than ever. Wondering, briefly, if the night before was a fluke. Thankfully, it wasn't.

"_What does immortality mean to me? That we all want more time; and we want it to be quality time. – Joan D. Vinge"_


	14. Chapter Thirteen: Family

_CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Family_

"_Cherish your human connections – your relationships with friends and family. – Barbara Bush"_

**April 15, 2005: 8:30AM**

They woke the next morning, nestled together in each other's arms. JJ could feel the warmth between them, added to by the breath on her exposed neck and hand playing with her breast.

Her eyes fluttered open with a sensationalism that she'd never expected, and for a moment her breath was taken away as she looked into the soft eyes of her young genius. A soft flush overcame her, as she slid her body closer to him, closing the miniscule gap between their bodies.

His breath hitched, and for the second she was struck with how awe-inspiring the moment was. Lying completely vulnerable before the person you love, and who loves you back, was a moment unlike any other.

There was a tempered passion in their kiss, the moment their lips locked together; they both could tell that the kiss was more about assurance than physicality. And, to be honest, JJ was completely okay with that.

"Good morning, Spence," she said softly.

"Jennifer," he said so softly that she could feel a shiver run up her spine, "You look radiant."

She smiled. She could picture herself, sweaty and riddled with bed hair. She knew what she looked like in the mornings, and she knew that too her young genius, it didn't matter.

"What do we have planned this morning?" JJ asked after a few minutes of silence. Spence smiled and said, "I'm going to make something to take to Gideon's this afternoon. Have you ever been to his cabin?"

Shaking her head, JJ looked at him as he smiled serenely.

"I think you're going to like it," he said softly. She smiled, and hoped that she would.

When 9:00 came, she slid out of bed, kissing her boyfriend tenderly as she stepped into the cold room and headed for her bathroom. She hesitated for a second, wondering if she should invite him to share a shower with her, but decided against it for the moment.

She didn't really understand how he had so easily accepted the direction their relationship had turned. It seemed only last week that he was even hesitant to touch her anywhere other than her cheek, and twice in the last week they'd been intimate.

How was it possible that he so casually accepted a change like this? Was it the heat of the moment? Was it his imbalanced hormones overworking themselves?

She showered quickly, and sighed as she dried off, before walking too the mirror. She could see the faint outline of a scar where he'd accidentally split her lip all those weeks ago coming out of a nightmare, and could remember the horror that his eyes held as he realized what he'd done.

But, even as she looked into the eyes of her reflection, with her hair slightly damp and her face markedly red from the heat of the scalding cascades, she noticed something in her reflection that she had missed for many years.

Her eyes sparkled with happiness that she hadn't seen since the day her sister Julia gave a smaller Jennifer Jareau her most prized necklace, and told her that she loved her. That day had broken her, after all… finding your sister in her bedroom, her wrists slashed, with a suicide note detailing problems you never knew she had, would break anyone… wouldn't it?

Maybe the why didn't matter?

She exited her bathroom, and smiled as she saw Spence: a towel over his naked shoulder. Maybe, the thought came to her; maybe he just needed the assurance that she saw real distance in this relationship before he let himself go that far with her. Maybe her boyfriend had been hurt one too many times; first with his father leaving and then with having his mother committed, to fully trust someone as a relationship required. Maybe, maybe he was looking for her assurance that their relationship was going to last.

Either way, she did know that what she saw reflected back at her this morning was a far cry better than the eyes that cried out for attention, cried out for acknowledgement, cried out for love…

"Good morning honey," she said softly as she approached her boyfriend. He smiled and kissed her lightly, as he said, "Good morning Jennifer. Did you enjoy your shower?"

She nodded, a soft smile on her face as she wrapped him in her arms, and said, "I did, thank you. The shower is free if you want it."

Spence smiled, and said, "Thank you."

She smiled, and shook her head softly, chuckling as he entered the bathroom, and again started humming. When she dressed, she wondered briefly if all couples went through the same stages they were going through, or did it make it easier both sides of the relationship being equal on an intellectual level?

She barely remembered going to the closet and grabbing her own choice of clothing for him.

When Spence arrived downstairs, she had just started to make breakfast, a simple matter of pancakes, bacon and scrambled eggs, and handed her boyfriend his coffee-flavored sugar. He sighed deeply at the first sip, and stood, walking to the stove and grabbing a spatula, before smiling at her.

She idly stepped to the side, watching him as her young genius flipped the pancake she had set onto the pan only a minute before, and sighed wondering how he could manage to flip it so perfectly, but run into random objects everyday.

They didn't talk as they cooked, but in retrospect JJ would later realize, they needn't.

Once breakfast was finished, JJ placed the plates and silverware in her dishwasher, and quickly scrubbed the cast-iron frying pan that her mother had meticulously taught her to take care of in her life. She idly turned a burner on high, and set the wet pan on the stove, grabbed her can of shortening grease and applied a thin layer to the pan.

Once that was finished, she turned to her boyfriend, who had straightened up the living room in his wait and said, "I'm finished here."

He then moved back to the kitchen, a smile on his face, and rummaged through the cabinets, shelves, and below-the-stove drawer, and grabbed everything he would need, before going to the refrigerator, and grabbing items from there. Her eyes furrowed in thought, trying to figure out what her boyfriend was going to make.

About two hours later, his offering to the barbeque was finished, and Spence smiled as he placed it inside of a carefully constructed pouch of aluminum foil.

He smiled to her, and said, "Alright. Are we ready to go to Gideon's?"

JJ smiled, unable to hide her grin at the anxiousness in Spence's voice. Teasingly, she turned to him and said, "Are you saying you don't like spending time with me, Spence?"

He shook his head rapidly and said, "Of course not, Jennifer! I love every moment I spend with you… I just miss Gideon, you know?"

She nodded, and softly hugged him, deeming a kiss too intimate for the moment. She sighed as he immediately returned her hug, a far cry different from the response he gave her mother… was it really less than a month ago?

"I know you do, honey," she said softly, "And I'm sure that he's missed you too. And yes," she said, "I'm ready to go. Our ready bags are already in my car if we end up staying the night. Do you know how to get there?"

He nodded certainty in every jarring movement.

Within minutes, they were on the road. JJ was fine, the first hour into the trip. Then, to her shock, Spence ended up the leaving the city. She figured, though, that eventually they'd turn back into civilization somewhere. When they didn't, she was sure she was going to hyperventilate.

"Jennifer," Spence's voice called out too her and breaking through the fog that had surrounded her mind. She looked up at him, eyes wide, and fearful. He frowned, and to her surprise, pulled off the road, turning on the emergency lights before he said, "What's wrong, JJ?"

"Jason lives in the woods?"

Spence nodded uncertainty in the movement.

"I've never told you that I'm absolutely terrified of the woods, have I?" she asked redundantly. Spence's eyes widened and he said, "We'll turn around!"

"No!" she said as Spence went to do just that. "Spence, I'll be fine. It's just a phobia, alright?"

"JJ, if you're hylophobic, I'm sure Jason would understand. I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

She shook her head, adamantly refusing. Spence sighed and said, "Jennifer, please understand that while I love Jason like a father, you are the woman I love. If it were a choice, I'd choose you every time."

She smiled. "While that's good to know, Spence, I don't want you to have to choose. I promise I'll be fine."

Spence looked at her, studying her. She knew that he was profiling her, and it irritated her more than a bit, but it was how he dealt with uncomfortable situations.

"Spence," she said as he pulled out into the road, and continued their trek too Jason's cabin in the woods.

"Yeah JJ," he said after a few seconds.

"I really am glad you feel that way about me," she said softly. "I love you so much that sometimes it scares me. But, knowing that you feel as deeply for me as I feel for you makes the fear, the despair, and the discomfort worth everything."

Spence smiled and said, "I feel the same way."

She sighed, a soft smile coming to her face as he unknowingly reassured her.

Still, as she passed deeper into the woods, her hand inched across the divider and grasped his right hand. Spence didn't take his eyes off the road, but he did tightly wind his hand around hers.

She was relieved when they approached the cabin in the woods, not surprised to find that Jason had a gate with electronic number pad. Spence got out of the car, and walked forward. She heard a high-pitched trill, and the gate started to open as Spence got back in the car, and drove on through.

She gasped as they approached the cabin. It was large, two stories, sitting atop a large, triangular hill. The outside walls were made of red oak, and several of the doors were made of glass, that Spence told her was bulletproof. She looked up into a few trees, where Spence pointed out the cameras that Jason had installed throughout his property.

As they approached the driveway, JJ noticed that she and Spence were the last ones to arrive. Morgan was already there, his black Dodge Charger parked beside a large, hot-pink convertible that could only belong to Penelope Garcia. Beside their cars, a metallic gray mini-van that could only belong to the Hotchner's was parked. Spence smiled and pulled his car around to the side, where he parked beside a black standard-issue FBI van.

He walked around to her car door, and surprised her when he offered her his hand. A smile erupted onto her face, as she gripped his hand when a loud roar erupted behind them. Spence smiled, pulling his offering to the barbeque out of the back seat.

"What was that?"

"A bear," Spence said softly, his hand moving to cup her shoulder as she schooled her features upon approaching his front door.

"Hello Spencer, hello JJ," Gideon said taking the still wrapped food tray from them, "I'm glad you could both make it. You're the last to arrive."

"I hope we've not held you up."

"No," Jason said, "but we have let Haley snack here and there. I haven't yet started the food."

"That's good," Spence said, "It's good to be back here, Gideon."

"You're always welcome," the man smiled. "Come in, I want to introduce you to someone special to me."

Spence walked forward, his eyes scanning the room. Instantly, both knew who the older man was talking about. A red-headed woman sat on the couch beside Haley, the two in an in-depth conversation about something that was making the younger woman blush.

"Sarah," Jason said as he approached the group, "I would like you to meet Spencer Reid and Jennifer Jareau, the youngest members of our family. Spencer, JJ," he said softly, "This is Sarah Jacobs, a long-time friend of mine."

"Hello Spencer," the woman said, "Jason has told me so much about you, I feel as if I know you as well as my own children. Jennifer," the woman said, "Jason hasn't told me as much about you, but from what I do know, I believe you to be a strong, confident woman, so I'm happy to meet you too."

JJ smiled and took the woman's hand as Spence fidgeted slightly. She smiled, and nudged him to take the woman's offered hand. He did so, nervously, and stuttered, "I-it's g-good to meet you too, Sarah. Jason has told me a lot about you too."

Sarah smiled widely, and turned to their host. "I'm sure Jason's highly embellished everything."

"She is attempting to be modest," JJ whispered to her boyfriend, who was about to make a highly inappropriate, but innocent comment. He nodded, thanking JJ, while Jason struggled with not smirking, a knowing look on his face.

"You've been good for him, JJ," the man said happily. She looked, wanting to know Spence's opinion of his mentor's observation. His soft, agreeing smile was all the response her young genius gave.

Jason smiled, and excused himself, walking into his kitchen. He soon returned, a platter in his hands of various prepared meats that would soon adorn their plates and fill their bellies.

Hotch stood as Jason exited, and Morgan soon followed. Spence, she noticed, looked distinctly uncomfortable. She sighed, wondering how to explain the situation too her boyfriend. She could already see Sarah looking at him, confusion on her face, as Penelope just smiled sadly his way.

A quick assertion of anger overcame JJ, cursing William Reid for abandoning his son in such a manner.

To her relief, Morgan came in a few seconds and grabbed Spence, and chuckled. She knew, somehow, that Spence's best male friend would help him understand.

Thankfully, none of her friends bothered to ask about his hesitation. Instead, Garcia, a wicked look on her face said, "So, Jennifer Jareau, inquiring minds want to know. How far have you and the beautiful brain matter that is my junior G-man gotten?"

JJ blushed, a red tinge coming to her cheeks. "That's top secret."

Garcia huffed and said, "You're no fun, sweetcheeks! I have to live vicariously through you! Now spill, we want details!"

Haley, to her horror, set the platter of vegetables onto the coffee table, and said, "Yes JJ? Do tell? Is young Doctor Reid as beautiful under those clothes as I think he is?"

"Don't you have a husband you should be thinking about?" JJ asked. Haley just pointed at her slightly bumped stomach, and said, "How do you think I got into this situation?"

JJ thought about it, and then realized she really didn't want too. Soon, outside a radio started playing a swinging Jazz beat. JJ looked at Sarah, who chuckled slightly, "That's Jason's 'music to cook too'. He thinks that food shouldn't be eaten unless prepared with a little flare."

"Nice," Haley said, "I bet Jason's a great cook."

"He is," the oldest woman of the group said, her eyes closed in remembrance. "The first time we had a date, Jason prepared everything for a picnic in the woods behind the cabin. He has this lake that is completely sealed within his property, and we went there. I was seventeen at the time, and I thought that Jason and I would spend the rest of our lives together."

"What happened," JJ asked, softly? Sarah sighed, "Life. Jason went to war, and went MIA for about three months. In my grief, I ran away to Las Vegas, and married a guy when I was drunk. I thought," she said, "I thought we had grown to love each other. And when Jason got back, he offered us his tidings of well-being, and left. When Richard died last year, I moved to Washington D.C. to be closer to my children.

And, to my surprise, I ran into Jason again. He took one look at me, and recognized me after thirty years. It just progressed from there… it's like things never changed."

"That's so sweet," Haley said, her eyes leaking with tears. JJ reached across with a box of tissues on the stand beside her and said, "Here, sweetie. I think you're going to need these."

Haley took one, wiped her eyes again, and bawled.

They chattered on for about three hours, getting to know each other happily. By the time Jason came in; a food-covered tray carrying hamburgers, hotdogs and steaks, too their shock, Sarah Jacobs had managed to insert into their family with nary a problem.

"I hope everyone's hungry," Jason said, sitting the onto the island in his kitchen. He went to his refrigerator, and pulled out five separate packages of bread, and various condiments.

A few seconds later, Hotch came in carrying a large, five-gallon PowerAde tea dispenser. Morgan followed, two large bags of ice on his broad shoulders. Spence, here she blushed heavily, carried two more. Which had started to melt onto him, the water running down her shirt and causing said shirt to stick to his chest.

"Damn," whistled Garcia, "You are so lucky JJ!"

"Don't look at my boyfriend like that," JJ said with a large smile on her face.

"I can, right," Haley said, looking at Spence. JJ looked at Hotch, who had a stupid grin on his face.

A few second passed in complete silence, when a clinging of a glass drew their attention.

"Normally," Jason said smiling, "I'd serve wine while doing this, but as one of our members is pregnant, I'm afraid we're going to have to stick with non-alcoholic beverages while I present a toast."

The group grumbled good naturedly as Hotch kissed Haley on the side of her cheek. The woman smiled apologetically, but rubbed her baby bump and shrugged.

"To friendships, old and new, to relationships stoked and kindled, to life; both destroyed and created. To Jill who bedazzled everyone she ever knew. To Mark who never heard a joke he couldn't laugh at. To Andrew who dedicated his life to better humanity. To Sarah who never heard of the word restraint. To Abraham who always saw the best in people. To Monica who helped bring us together.

To family," the Jason finished, a soft smile on his face.

"To family!" the rest of the group echoed. With a soft smile on her face, Haley said, "gone but not forgotten."

"Not forgotten," they echoed again, Jason even raising his glass to clink with theirs. Finally, with a smile on his face, Jason smiled and said, "Thank you everyone. Please, dig in."

**April 15, 2005: 6:30PM**

"I'm scared of the dark," Spence said as they lay in bed that night, his voice holding a timbre of fear. She looked at him, her eyes furrowed when she heard that.

"Why?" she asked, her voice soft, as she instinctively tightened her grip on his hand. Spence took a deep breath, and she could see a tear leak out of the corner of his eye.

"If you were anyone else," he told her silently, "I'd say that it was because the dark is the inherent absence of light. But," he paused. JJ turned in his arms, placing her arm underneath her pillow as she connected her eyes with his.

"Spence?" she asked quietly, running her finger down the tear-struck cheek.

"My mom," he whispered silently. JJ's eyes widened. "What happened?"

"Sometimes," Spence said, a warble in his voice, "Sometimes, when I was younger my mom would lock me in a closet to "show the government spy its place".

Unbidden, a memory came through her haze-filled mind, of a terrified Spencer Reid pleading with his ghosts.

"_No, mommy, please don't lock me away again! I'm not a government spy, I'm your son! I'm Spencer, Mommy! Please open the door; I'm so sorry I'm a disappointment to you."_

"Spence," she said softly, "I know."

He looked at her, his eyes wide as a terrified as a haunted look overcame him.

"How?" he asked, "Did mom tell you?"

"No," she said, before her hand travelled to her lip, and the tear he'd inadvertently given her. His eyes trailed her hand, and then misted over.

"That night," she said, her eyes on him. "That night," she said again, "you had a horrible nightmare. You were pleading, begging your mom not to lock you away again."

He winced, his eyes wide in fear as he remembered the dream in vivid detail.

"Sometimes," he choked up as he began again, turning away from their mirrored positions, shame on his face; his eyes tear-filled. "It would begin as soon as I came in from school. She'd have had a schizophrenic break when I was at school, and forget that she had a son, or if she did remember, she'd think that I was still a baby.

The first time it happened, I thought we were playing a game… she put me in a closet, and told me it was so I could play hide-and-seek with dad, he'd left a couple of days before and I still held out hope that he'd come back.

About five hours later, when I still hadn't been released, I realized that it wasn't a game. I begged and pleaded with her to let me out of the closet. I hit against the door, over and over until I could hardly breathe, and when my energy had depleted itself, I sat down and counted the seconds and watched the sun set, to show that time was still passing.

That night, as the sun went down, I cried and cried for mom to let me out of the closet. She…" Spence choked up, "she didn't. All she did was yell that she'd teach the government spy its; not his or your, place, even if it died.

I remember the feeling of bugs crawling over my skin that night, not sure if they were poisonous spiders, or just creepy crawly roaches. And when I finally lost consciousness, I thought that I was seriously going to die in there."

She winced and leaned forward, pulling her boyfriend to her, as his choked gasps became sobs.

"The next morning, mom opened the closet to get dressed for work, and was surprised to see me in there. She woke me up, and asked what happened. I looked at her and started crying, and a horrified look came over her face. She pulled me to her, and started apologizing over and over again."

She waited.

"She promised that it would never happen again, that she'd start taking her medicine every day. I believed her, trusted her so much, JJ. And for a while, it was like old times between us. She'd call me up onto her bed, open one of her fifteenth-century literatures, and I'd fall asleep to the words of Kempe, Shakespeare, or any multitude of authors.

Then, it would happen again. She'd either forget to take her medicine, or it wouldn't get refilled, and I'd end up in the closet again."

"Spence," JJ whispered. Unwanted, images of a crying Spencer William Reid came to her mind, and she fought to see past them; the thought of her terrified young genius able to break her heart.

"I love my mom," Spence said firmly. She nodded, knowing that first hand. She could see it in the way her boyfriend looked at his mom when they went to see her. "Sometimes, though… especially growing up… sometimes I wanted to hate her."

JJ cringed. Sometimes, she realized at that moment, even she forgot that underneath his façade of invulnerability, Spence was just a human; an extremely smart, extremely undervalued human, to be sure, but still a human.

She didn't know what possessed her to ask the next question. It was like her brain putting the pieces of a puzzle together. How she had to push Spence in every aspect of their relationship. The touching, she could understand at first. He was a socially awkward thirteen year old in college. The kissing she could understand at first, he'd never had a girlfriend growing up, as the closest person to his age group was over seven years his senior. But, it was the intimacy that finally showed her something was wrong.

He had to be showed it was okay to feel normal things.

"Is that why you think you're not supposed to be loved," JJ asked? Spence looked at her, and a dark mirth came over his eyes. She froze at seeing the look in her young genius's normally warm gaze.

"That's it exactly," he said mirthlessly. "What kind of son hates his mother? What kind of son would have rather been in foster care than at home? I can't tell you how many times I nearly reported what was happening. I was in high school at the time, it wouldn't have been difficult. Or even worse, there were the times I almost run away from home, determined to let mom sink or swim. I had nearly convinced myself that I didn't care."

He couldn't hide the crack in his voice.

"What kind of person does that, JJ?" he asked with real anger in his voice. She sighed briefly, thankful that he hadn't used her real name. "What kind of son does that?"

"A scared one," she said without hesitation. He flinched back. She knew he didn't want to admit to being scared. He didn't want to admit that his biggest fear growing up was being alone, and that his fear and the knowledge Diana, his mother's malicious alter ego, lived within the woman that claimed to love him unconditionally, had set his course to forever alone.

"A scared one," she reiterated. "Spence," she said lowering her voice, though there was no need too, "Whatever you tell me here is Sacrament. The sanctity of the bedroom is one of the few places that are totally revered in relationships. Breaking the trust of the bed," she said, "Is the same as a priest going to the cops after taking confession."

He didn't bother correcting her. She'd finally gotten analogies through his head.

"I," he said pausing to clear his throat. "I," he said again, "I was scared."

She sighed. "Scared of what?"

He looked at her, and his eyes began to tear as he pulled her closer. She felt his breath on her neck. "Scared that you'd find out how bad of a person I am and leave me."

Violently, she cursed William Reid for the second time that day. Now, it all made sense. It wasn't, as she'd feared, completely his mother's doing that Spence was so afraid to love.

It was William Reid for leaving in the first place. If he hadn't left, Spence would never have been locked in that closet all night. If he hadn't left, Spence would never have known the fear of loosing his mother's mind to Schizophrenia. If he hadn't left…

But then, the thought came to her. If he hadn't left, would Spence and she have gotten together? It seemed like a bad string of circumstances had caused the course of their lives to alter together.

Would William Reid's decision to abandon his son have had a different outcome on her life?

She wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"Spence," she said softly, "I want you to know that I'm glad you're able to tell me this. I know that pushing you the other night made you uncomfortable, and I'm so sorry that happened. But," she took a deep breath, "But I love you. I know that our relationship didn't start on the best of circumstances," she admitted, "But I do. I've grown so closely to you these past few weeks that I look forward to the days now. Before, I was living night by night, nightmare by nightmare.

Now, when I dream, it's of a future of you; a future of me… a future of with us… together."

Spence nodded. "I want that dream too."

Silently, JJ stretched forward, and pressed their nude bodies together, and locked his gaze to hers. Silently, she sent her leg over him, and briefly felt his arousal at her core, before she kissed him, her eyes locked with his.

"Then take it, Spence," she said, softly. He didn't hesitate.

"_All of us grow up in particular realities – a home, family, a clan, a small town, a neighborhood. Depending upon how we're brought up, we are either deeply aware of the particular reading of reality into which we are born, or we are peripherally aware of it. – Chaim Potok"_


	15. Chapter Fourteen: The Master Pt 1

_CHAPTER FOURTEEN: The Master Part I_

"_The whole commerce between master and slave is a perpetual exercise of the most boisterous passions, the most unremitting despotism one the one part, and degrading submissions on the other. Our children see this, and learn to imitate it. - __Thomas Jefferson__"_

**April 10, 2005**

"_Diana," a brusque, masculine voice called through the silence in the living room of the small, one-storied house. "Diana, get me a damn steak! A nice juicy one, and make it fast!"_

_Eyes widened as a black-haired, green-eyed woman slid out of her makeshift bed. The woman winced, her back arcing in pain, as days-old slashes stretched and bled anew. The woman had a large, hand-shaped bruise covering the right side of her face, and her hair, once the symbol of her power and integrity, was matted and flea-ridden. _

_Seven years the woman had been held captive, abused daily and forced to live a life of solitude and slavery, to serve at the whims of her master. It was an existence she hated. _

"_Don't make me come down there, you lazy ass bitch," her master's voice called out, echoing through the house. As rapidly as her heavily emasculated feet could take her, the woman only known as Diana walked too a large deep freezer and winced at the site inside. _

_Another woman, this one blond, laid naked inside. The woman was the fourth one during her tenure at the master's feet. Large, gaping wounds covered the entirety of her once healthy, living body. _

"_Diana," the man yelled again. She winced, and rubbed her bruised ribs, as she took a carving knife and tipped the blade into the deceased woman's flesh, where a cut already ran along the underside of her skin. Quickly she took the steak into the kitchen, only inches from her 'room' and turned the stove on; before setting the steak on the rapidly heating surface._

"_You'd better be in the kitchen when I get there, bitch," a man warned, as he turned the corner. Instantly, she averted her eyes, and bowed her head submissively, as the sounds of sizzling meat met her ears. The man, her master, placed his hand to her cheek, and raised her eyes to meet hers._

"_Why didn't you answer when I called," the man asked with authority in his voice. Diana kept quiet, her eyes trying to avert themselves. _

"_You may speak," her master ordered. _

"_You did not give permission, master," Diana said a quiver of fear in her voice as she felt his breath on her face, putrid and decayed. The man pulled her face inches closer to hers, and forced his tongue into her mouth. She repelled the urge to vomit, to resist, and let her body flow into his._

"_Tell me, Diana," the man said with a sinister smile on his face, "What you would do if I offered freedom?"_

'_Run like hell,' her rebellious thoughts came to her mind, but she knew that any answer, any response, would have her beaten and bloody on the ground at the monster's feet. Yet, her rebellious thoughts again came to her, this time of a dream from so long ago, of a field of yellow tulips, and grass farther than she could ever envision. _

"_Master," she said hesitantly. The man smiled, "Yes Diana."_

"_May I turn your steak?"_

_A dark chuckle echoed forth from the man's mouth and he said, "Yes, then shower and dress, you'll be with my friends and I tonight. And remember," the man said, his voice a slithering whisper, "should Sam complain again this week, you will regret it."_

_She nodded, trying to repress her urge to shiver._

**April 17, 2005: 3:30AM**

JJ sighed as she woke that morning, the body beside hers gripping her tighter. A phone, hers, was ringing.

"Spence," she whispered softly, "I need to get up."

He lightened his grip around her, the tips of his fingers trailing a line down hers as she slid out of the warmth of her bed, and her young genius' embrace.

The phone was on its seventh ring by now, and she could just picture the officer on the other side growing impatient. Before it could begin it's eighth, though, she answered.

"Jareau," she said softly, a yawn escaping her as the officer on the other end gave the usual platitudes for interrupting her sleep.

"Deputy Sanchez," she said surprise in her voice, "From La Grange PD? What can we help you with?"

She looked at Spence, as her boyfriend slid out of bed and walked out of their room.

"I'm sorry to hear that," she said, sincerely. "I'll head into the BAU now, and get a case file ready for in the morning. We'll be out there as soon as possible."

**April 17, 2005: 7:30AM**

JJ sighed as she stood in front of the team; her shoulders slumped in obvious exhaustion. Spence, to her side, was nursing his seventh coffee-flavored sugar of the morning. As the team gathered, Derek noticed their states and went to make a smart aleck remark, but stopped himself when he saw the case files in front of them.

"I received a call this at 3:30 this morning from Deputy Luis Sanchez of La Grange Police Department, in Le Grange, Wisconsin. He was calling to let us know that they found Jennifer Walcott's body in an isolated dump site."

In unison, the team opened the case files in front of them, except Spence, who had seen it all before.

"Damn," Derek said almost immediately. Hotch's face was set in stone, and a glacial gaze came over his eyes as he said, "Do they have any leads?"

"No," JJ said, "Deputy Sanchez said that, like with the previous cases, the UNSUB left nothing behind. It was as if Ms. Walcott died in the very spot she was found in."

"Has anyone else been taken," Hotch said?

"Deputy Sanchez believes so. Six days ago, Isabella Knightly was reported missing by her mother, Gabriella. State police didn't think anything of it, as Miss Knightly was taken from her home in Edgarton, which was twenty-five miles away and well out of our UNSUB's presumed comfort zone. Then," JJ said pressing a button to change the presentation, "They received her picture."

The next case file showed a woman, black hair and green eyes, which looked suspiciously similar to Jennifer Walcott's.

"As you can tell, Isabella Knightly is a match for our UNSUB's preference."

"Have the police identified the UNSUB's signature?" Derek asked. JJ nodded a grim look on her face. The next picture, of her chest and torso, had a single word carved into the flesh.

_Diana_

"It looks like he's back," Hotch said after a few seconds. Reid looked at him, confusion on his face, as Derek's gaze sharpened in anger.

"This can't happen again, Hotch," Derek said, his gaze locked with their Unit Chief. Hotch nodded. "Reid, I will need to catch you up on what we know on the way. JJ, you should be somewhat familiar with the case; I know that Jill took it upon herself to keep the case active, and as her partner, you would have been notified to keep the case in your thoughts. Hopefully, both of your insights will help us catch the UNSUB before something happens to Ms. Knightly."

They didn't wait long for the order, "Wheels up in twenty."

They were sitting around the small area of the plane, surrounding a computer where Garcia was keeping them updated with the latest details of the case.

"Hotch," Spence asked, "What's going on, exactly?"

Hotch looked at them and said, "It was one of the first cases I ever had with the BAU. An UNSUB had abducted a young woman, Savannah Miles, from her home in La Grange, Wisconsin. About the same time, the body of another woman, Brianna Washington, was found almost a mile from the dump site, her body beaten, with signs of sexual abuse spanning years, and a single word carved into her skin, _Diana_. The trail went cold for six months. When another report crossed Jill's desk, this time indicating that Savanna Miles body had been dumped, again with _Diana_ etched into her chest, we realized that it wouldn't be long before another woman was taken. We later found out that Savannah Miles had Stage Four Liver Cancer.

Before we arrived back to La Grange, Jennifer Walcott's family reported that she was missing. We headed out almost immediately, but the La Grange PD asked us to leave just as we arrived; a new mayor had recently taken office, and was sure that the local and state police could handle the investigation. As we didn't have jurisdiction, we reluctantly left, with the understanding that there would be no leads until Jennifer Walcott's body was found.

The lead deputy on the case, Luis Sanchez, however, disagreed with the local mayor's decision and called us about three days later, promising to keep us updated. Jill was the media liaison at the time, and had him promise to call the second something happened."

"And this the first time in seven years that something came up?" JJ said horror in her voice. She looked at the picture of the woman again, and said, "How is that possible?"

"That's what I'm here for, my pretties," Garcia said. "I've been searching hospital records in a twenty-mile radius around La Grange, looking for any suspicious injuries. None have been reported."

"Good start, Garcia. Extend the search from twenty to fifty miles," Hotch said, "And include real names and the name Diana, no last name."

Garcia nodded, a determination in her eyes as she said, "I'll call you soon, hopefully with good news; goodbye my doves."

The team was silent, a fierce determination in their gazes as they stared at Jennifer Walcott's face, which was finally peaceful in death.

They landed about an hour later, but had to travel another hour by car when they arrived. The local field office had a couple of standard issue SUV's brought out for them to use, luckily, or they'd have had to arrange for transportation.

"Hotch," Derek said, "What happens if the mayor turns us down again?"

Hotch sighed, "I've already received permission from the brass to turn this into a federal case if that should happen."

Derek nodded; a hard determination in his gaze, as they pulled into the parking lot of the local sheriff's annex.

"Deputy Sanchez, I'm Jennifer Jareau, we spoke on the phone. You know Agent's Hotchner and Morgan, this is Doctor Spencer Reid."

"I was hoping for the full team, Agent Hotchner," Deputy Sanchez said slightly confused.

"We recently lost six members of our team," Hotch said, "And Jason's taken a leave of absence."

Luis's face fell as he said, "I'm sorry, Agent Hotchner, I had no idea. I've been told to bring you to meet Mayor Wilson."

Hotch nodded and said, "Alright." His shoulders set, Hotch walked into the city council building, a one-story building that looked like it only had three rooms. And, it wasn't air conditioned.

The mayor's office was full of trophies, and various knick-knacks that showed the woman behind the desk was completely comfortable in the space. Hotch's face set, he stepped forward and said, "Mayor Wilson, we meet again."

"Agent Aaron Hotchner," she said calmly, her voice sounding strained as she said, "Before we begin, I need to apologize. Seven years ago, I made a mistake that has cost the life of a young woman and endangered the life of another. I lived with the hope, albeit false, that, somehow, Jennifer Walcott would be found alive. Obviously I was wrong. Believe me when I say that I have no intention of making the same mistake again."

Hotch nodded, a slight look of relief on his face as he said, "Thank you, Mayor. I know that I speak for my team when I say that I'm very glad to hear that."

Mayor Margaret Wilson sighed. "I've come to know the Walcott's very well since my inauguration as Mayor of La Grange, Agent Hotchner. This is going to devastate them. If you wouldn't mind, please keep me informed of all details of the case. I've already instructed Deputy Sanchez too work with you completely.

Agent Morgan," the Mayor said to the man to JJ's right, "Please believe me when I say that I never wanted this."

Derek nodded, though anyone could tell it was forced. Mayor Wilson said, "That said, I believe that Deputy Sanchez has a list of suspects for your perusal. I wish you the best of luck; hopefully you'll succeed where I failed."

"Then we need to get to work," Hotch said, "Morgan and JJ, I want you to head out to the dump and abduction sites. Reid, head to the precinct with Deputy Sanchez, and begin setting up for a geographic profile. I'll go and talk to the families."

"Hotch," Morgan said, "You sure you don't want help?"

"I'll be alright," the man said, a sad, but reassuring look on his face. Taking his reassurance as an order, the team separated to do their, hopefully successful jobs.

**With Derek and JJ**

"JJ," Derek said as they arrived at the government-issue van. His shoulders were tense, and she could see his hesitance. She looked at him, as she settled into the front seat, and waited patiently.

"Are you alright," JJ asked her voice soft as she watched the confident man hesitate. Derek nodded, his face tense as he placed the key in the ignition, "Yeah, it's just that this is a difficult case. This UNSUB has been abducting women for years, and as far as we know, he never leaves anything behind."

She shivered in slight fear, and said, "I couldn't imagine being locked in a cage for years, forced to do God knows what to survive… I think I'd rather kill myself."

"They tried," Derek said softly. Her head snapped up, and her eyes met his as she urged him to explain. He did, his voice coming so softly that JJ almost had to struggle to hear him over the engine, "We won't know until a toxscreen is preformed, but Brianna Washington's body showed signs of prolonged exposure to items that would have killed her in large doses.

Mostly antifreeze," Derek told her, "but there were also traces of rat poison in her system, as well as various over-the-counter and prescription drugs. Any combination of which should have killed her in large doses, but if given over long periods would have built up in her system."

JJ's eyes widened, fear and disgust on her face as Derek sat down, "When we were forced to leave, we told Mayor Wilson that she'd come to regret her actions. We told her the profile for this type of UNSUB; sadistic, with complete control over her life, and able to keep control by giving her enough poison to drug herself, but not commit suicide. Even her death is controlled by the UNSUB," Derek said a minute later, "He keeps her alive long enough to carve "Diana" into her chest, and then she dies, knowing that he was allowing her too."

JJ's face paled, as she turned to him. She saw his face clenched in absolute rage, and his eyes were hard as he said, "So hopefully you can understand how I feel about Mayor Wilson."

"You hate her," JJ said so softly that she was sure Morgan had not heard her. His sly chuckle was her only reassurance that he had.

"She was so full of hubris that she told Rossi, Gideon and I that local and state police could handle the search. We were so angry, none of us wanted to leave, you know." Derek paused, "I loathe her, JJ," Derek said. "And now, we're expected to work with her."

"That's why you guys have me," JJ tried assuring, "It's my job to deal with the politics of our situation. And," she said softly, "I think I'm pretty good at it, Derek."

"Yeah," Derek said, "You are."

She nodded, glad that her friend was coming around. But, she glanced at him worriedly, noticing that his fingers were still clinched tightly on the steering wheel, his knuckles white with suppressed rage.

She could see his shoulders were tensed and wondered why, when he turned into a large, wooded area. She wondered where they were going to pull off too, but turned in surprise when he turned off the engine, and pulled the key.

She quickly depressed the latch, and opened her door. Quickly, she checked to make sure her sidearm was positioned correctly, before slowly pushing the door open.

"This is the area that our UNSUB has dumped each of his known victims," Derek said as they met at the front of the standard-issue vehicle. "Because of the amount of time between body dumps, the local and state law enforcement has reopened the site when the case went cold."

JJ nodded, and turned to study the ground around her.

"What are we looking for," she asked the experienced profiler. Derek looked at her pointed, his eyes moving too and searching an outline in the sand, and said "To be honest, I'm not sure what we'll find. I know that local and state officers have canvassed the area already," he said pointing out the yellow tape that hung off the trees, so its not likely we'll find anything they missed. Just look for anything that is completely out of place. We can hope that the UNSUB made a mistake."

JJ nodded and walked under the police tape, and absently placed a pair of blue latex gloves onto her hands. She knelt down, where she noticed a handprint, and turned to Derek.

He nodded a sad look on his face. Her eyes searched the ground, travelling from the prints too where an outline of a face was eerily visible. Where the woman's mouth would have been, a small mound covered in dry blood protruded.

Derek knelt down, his hand searching the soft, blood-stained ground for the briefest of seconds. Then, his fingers wrapped around a small, mud-covered necklace which he picked up and placed into a small, plastic bag.

Then, Derek sighed and said, "JJ, let's split up. I need to head a bit deeper into the woods, and I need you to get a CSI unit out here to investigate again. We need to know if the UNSUB came back, or if they missed this in the initial investigation."

JJ nodded and said, "Keep your line open, and I'll do the same."

"Good idea," the profiler said softly, before he turned his attention to the tree line. JJ watched him disappear, before turning her attention too where the outline of Jennifer Walcott's body was slowly fading as dirt and mud shifted around it.

She knelt and said, "I promise that we'll do everything we can," as she pulled out her phone.

**With Hotch**

Aaron sighed, spying the familiar road with a small amount of trepidation. This wasn't the first time he'd been down this particular, well-travelled path, and he had a feeling that it wasn't going to be his last. His eyes narrowed in sad disbelief as he approached a large, yellow house.

The owners of the house, Abraham and Sara Walcott, must have heard him coming. Hotch sighed as they exited the large, cold house, and sat on the front porch.

"Agent Hotchner," Sara said as he parked, her eyes whetting with unshed tears. He looked at their states, and frowned. He hadn't been informed that someone had visited yet.

"Mrs. Walcott," the unit chief said as he approached the disheveled woman. Her husband was holding her hand tightly, if his white knuckles were any indication, and his eyes were red from tears… the air of defeat on their faces telling him more than he needed to know.

"I'm sorry to be here under these circumstances," the unit chief said unceremoniously. The couple sat down as he approached, blithely offering him a seat as the burdened man neared.

He took the offered seat, and waited, knowing that they would speak in their own time. It didn't take long for Abraham to begin.

"We knew you were coming," the man said unnecessarily.

"I got that impression," Aaron told them man hesitantly, "Do you mind if I ask how?"

Abraham pointed to a brown package sitting in front of them. Aaron reached forward, barely meeting their eyes as he opened the package, his face paling as he eyed the contents.

"It was sitting on our front porch when we woke up this morning," Sara said, her voice cracking as she eyed the box with disdain.

He could easily see why. Inside the box, a black VCR tape precariously sat beside a small, blood-written letter with the words "the last minutes of _Diana's_ life."

It was signed, "A friend."

Hotch felt an unbridled rage fill him as he eyed the taunt, his eyes glazed with righteous fury.

"Can you tell us why he's doing this?" Jennifer's grieving father asked, his voice cracking with the same unbridled rage.

"I can," Aaron told the man, honesty reflected in his words. "But please trust me when I say that its best you not know."

A hesitant nod was his only response. "I need to ask you a question, and I'm afraid that it's going to sound unsympathetic, but I wouldn't ask if it weren't important."

"Go on," Abraham said, as he took a deep breath in preparation. Aaron sighed, "did you recognize anything on the tape that stood out too you, other than what the UNSUB wanted you too?"

"Like the background or anything? No," Sara said, her voice cracking. "Just our daughter…" Hotch didn't bother looking away when the woman shifted too the side, her food from the day violently expelling from her body. "And the other woman."

"Other woman," Hotch asked.

"Jennifer was… she was…" Abraham said, choking as he struggled to admit to something horrific.

Hotch sighed, knowing that the family had said all they were going to on the matter.

"Would it be alright for me to take the tape back to my team?" he asked, "Obviously, something on there is important, but frightening enough that you can't or won't talk about it. My team and I need the information this tape contains, especially if it helps us to catch the bastard that's doing this."

"Please do," the now sickly father said, his voice cracking as he stood and said, "And please don't think less of our Jennifer…" before grasping his wife's hand. Aaron shook their hands, and apologized again for their loss, and turned away too let them grieve in peace.

It was as he approached his van, that Sara Walcott's voice caught his attention. "Agent Hotchner, promise me you'll catch this bastard."

"I promise," Aaron told the woman, his voice tight with anger as he stared at the grief-torn woman, "I will catch this bastard."

He wondered, briefly, how he would feel if his unborn child was hurt in such a way. Silently, he placed the box into the back of the van, and said, "I need to get this back to my team, is it all right if I come back to speak with you later?"

The couple shared a long, grieving look, and nodded simultaneously. Aaron sighed and walked down the stairs, five minutes after he first arrived, knowing that the grieving parents were in no state to talk anymore, the UNSUB's final taunt too raw for them.

**With Reid **

Reid entered the large, air-conditioned room fifteen minutes after the team was dismissed, his shoulders tense with undue tension. Deputy Sanchez stood beside him, his grief palpable as he looked around the room; where the faces of known and suspected victims stared back at them.

"There are ten more victims here," Spence said in incredulity, absently noting the similarities between them, or lack thereof, and comparing them to the known victims. Only one of those on the display actually met the profile.

"These are just the local cases," Deputy Sanchez said silently, "There are about fifteen other cases, scattered across the state, which matches or nearly matches the detail we know about."

Reid looked at the pictures, his eye for detail silently studying every crevice, nook and cranny of their faces and committing them to his eidetic memory. The level of torture the UNSUB inflicted upon the victims was heinous, and sometimes Spencer hated his eidetic memory.

Absently, he noted that those that did not match their immediate profile were nearly identical in looks, blond with forest green eyes, slender builds, and anxious, yet portraying a fearlessness that would have been a challenge to any of the various UNSUB's that they regularly chase.

He absently pulled at the white board, and tacked-up a map that showed most of the surrounding area. Spencer spared only a second glance at the details provided to them by Deputy Sanchez, and only to check that his figures were accurate, then started.

First, he marked where the previous dump and abduction sites were located, which he noticed were all around a five square mile area, a fact he outlined in red as soon as he realized it. Then, he placed markers for the six closest cities, three of which were in the UNSUB's comfort zone.

"What do you have so far, Doctor," Deputy Sanchez asked as he walked towards the concentrating genius. Spence looked at the man and said, "Can I have the files for the local missing persons?"

Deputy Sanchez pointed over to an oft-disused filing cabinet and said, "They'd be in there, Doctor."

Reid opened the filing cabinet swiftly, and gaped at the flowing stack of files. He had expected the amount to be larger than ten, considering the victim's profiles that were displayed around them, but not this many…

"There are about twenty-five files here, Deputy."

The Deputy nodded, a solemn look on his face, as he looked at the large stack that Spencer pulled out, and set on the table.

Within minutes, the young genius was scanning through the back log of various large, and somewhat dated documents. He separated out the known victims of their UNSUB, Brianna Washington, Savannah Miles, Jennifer Walcott, and Isabella Knightly, and then separated out those that disappeared within the presumed comfort zone, all of which were blond, and eyed forest green like before.

Nine victims, four of whom had disappeared within the last seven years, were sat on the table beside him. Their disappearances corresponded and overlapped, he noticed, on a twenty-one month basis, or one year and nine months.

Deeming the information important, even if he wasn't sure why at the moment, Spencer placed flags beside each of the women that corresponded with the disappearance of their primary victims. Four of the women had disappeared during the times that Brianna Washington and Jennifer Walcott were missing, each, with one disappearing while Savannah Miles was also. And hers was the only gap that lasted less than twenty-one months.

Spencer was frustrated, when Morgan and JJ entered an hour later. It didn't take long for the profiler to notice the young genius' added details, and when he did, surprise washed over his face.

"Is that what I think it is?" Derek asked.

Spence said, "If you think its some type of corresponding timeline for our UNSUB, then yes."

JJ's eyes widened as she looked at the nine new pictures, and she turned to her young genius, who was staring at her, his eyes clouded in a mix of relief, and self-loathing.

Hotch came in a few minutes later, his eyes holding a furious anger to them, as he set a plain brown box on the table, and said, "You need to see this."

The group turned to their unit chief, who was eying the box with a loathing the team knew all too well. They often saw the same loathing in their own gazes, as they noticed a detail, or learned of some new perversion that gave them knowledge of the depravity that humans can sink too.

Hotch opened the box. Against the far left wall, a TV/VCR Player combo sat on a tall mount. Their unit didn't hesitate to walk over, and place a VCR into the player.

_She was obviously underfed. Her frame, which was once obviously healthy, was easily emasculated and stick-thin. Her ribcage jutted out of her stomach at odd angles, sign that the woman, easily recognizable as Jennifer Walcott, had been beaten regularly._

_Her hair, a dulled and dirty brunette, was matted; a tangled weave of uncoordinated discontent. _

_She was standing beside a table, her dead eyes staring down and too the left in a sign of clear submission as a man, her abductor, ate a large, bloody piece of meat. _

_Where Jennifer was thin and unhealthy, the man was not. He was obviously well-fed, but his body was slightly emasculated. It was confusing, until the camera recording the man moved to a cold-storage freezer and the body of a blond woman could be seen, chunks of her body missing. The camera moved back to the man, who was saying something to Jennifer, whose face had paled as she sat on the man's lap. _

_He was saying something, but it was obviously only intended for his victim, as she nodded resignedly. With slow, delicate movements, Jennifer's face reached forward, and she guided the fork into her mouth, and took the meat off the fork. _

_The man's face took a familiar, sickening look about him, obviously having gained his release at the show of power he had over Jennifer. Her face was sickly pale now, and contained a green pigment. Obviously, Jennifer's ultimate act of submission, consuming human flesh, had given the man his ultimate high._

"The Walcott's received this tape, anonymously, this morning. It was left on their front steps, and the family is understandably upset. They agreed to my taking the tape so that we could analyze what we found on it."

_The man; whose face was cloaked in shadows, looked right at the camera. His hubris was evident, as the low light in the room around them hid his face very well. _

_He said something to the cameraman, and grabbed Jennifer by the back of her neck, and pulled her towards him. Then, forcibly he kissed her, his tongue pushing its way into her mouth. The sight of his yellow, almost decayed teeth, and Jennifer's slight, almost unnoticeable flinch was all the sign they had for what came next._

_The woman vomited. _

_Seconds passed in uncomfortable silence, and the team tensed for what they knew would be coming next. _

_She fell to the ground, seconds later as their UNSUB punched her in the face, his feet lashing out too kick her in the side, one after the other. She grasped her side, her mouth open in a silent, for them, scream as she held her caved ribs. He continued to kick her for five minutes, maybe more, then knelt above her battered body, and spat on the broken, bleeding woman. _

_She flinched back from the look in his eyes, and then seemed to beg for him to stop what he was doing. The camera panned to the right, where he placed a knife on the iron of the stove, and turned it on. The woman flinched back, and attempted to move, but her ribs forced her to stay as the man approached._

_Then, to their confusion, he stopped and nodded at something the cameraman said._

_When the foot connected with her temple, and the woman passed out, the camera shut off._

Hotch approached to eject the tape, his face tense with undue pressure.

"Hotch," Morgan said in warning as the tape began again. Hotch turned, and silent relief filled him as he realized that as bad as the first part was, the Walcott's didn't actually watch their daughter's murder.

He turned, and then uttered a heavy curse. He doubted that the UNSUB's accomplice even realized they'd accidentally turned the camera on, but the area they were in was heavily wooded, with trees and moss growing all around them.

Derek, thankfully, recognized the area almost immediately.

The camera panned around, and seconds later, JJ pointed to the screen. "And that's where we found the necklace," Derek nodded and pulled the necklace from his pocket, where it had been placed after being sealed.

Spence took the necklace from them, and eyed the video, which he paused in order to investigate something that only he saw. JJ walked over to her young genius, and placed her hands lightly on his wrist, before she said, "What are you seeing?"

"It's more what I'm not seeing," Spence told her, his voice tight with frustration. "The victim isn't wearing this necklace, but since it was found underneath where her body was dumped, either someone dropped the necklace and didn't look for it, or it was planted there."

"It's a taunt," Derek said, "Just like the tape is a taunt to her parents. This is a taunt to us, telling us that this man is three steps ahead at the moment."

"What do we know of the other woman on the tape?" Hotch asked.

"Her name is Jessica Williams, 27 years old and lived within ten minutes of La Grange, Wisconsin. She was reported missing twenty months ago."

They looked at Spence, who was eying the pictures of the other nine women on the board. Hers was the last picture he'd found that met his secondary profile, and as much as he wished he didn't, the genius now knew what the UNSUB was doing to his secondary victims.

Silently, they started the tape again.

_Her body fell to the ground with a silent thump. Silently, the UNSUB knelt above her, and ripped her shirt off of her body. Silently, her eyes flew open and a silent scream filled the screen._

_The sound must have enticed the accomplice, because seconds later the camera started jerking erratically, and the UNSUB turned, and stifled a chuckle. Then, he said something, and Jennifer's eyes widened in fear as the man laughed. The UNSUB seemed to frown, a second later, and turned to her, smacked her across her bruised face, and then placed a piece of cloth in her mouth._

_Then, the smoke of a fire could be seen behind him, and the UNSUB turned back, a few minutes later, holding a red-hot knife that he touched to the woman's skin._

_For the next fifteen minutes, she screamed as he etched into her skin, the heat from the knife working to cauterize her wounds as soon as they appeared._

_When her body finally fell limp, the man seemed to lean over, forcing his tongue into her mouth, as he whispered into her ear._

**An hour later:**

"He's a cannibal," Spence said softly, looking at the gathered law enforcement officers, mostly all of them state officers. They were gathered around an old television that still contained the tape they'd received earlier that morning.

"He's a sadist," Derek said quickly, "He enjoys the control he gains from forcing his victims to answer to anything he says, but forcing them to set aside their inhibitions and actually cook… and eat human flesh? He probably gains release every time."

"And when the release isn't as powerful anymore," Hotch said, continuing his teams' thoughts, "He kills the primary victim, and kidnaps another. He then hunts locally for his secondary victim, a blond haired, forest green eyed woman that he forces the victim to cook so he can consume them."

"Are you guys sure about this? Wouldn't a cannibal eat his primary victim too?" An officer asked, as he wrote down some information in a pad he was holding.

"The UNSUB gives the primary victim prescription and over-the-counter drugs, any combination of which should have killed them, but in such low doses only acts to poison her 'meat'. The only problem with that is that she thinks she's slowly killing herself." JJ said in disgust.

Hotch looked at her for a second, then to Derek, and nodded before saying, "We know this because her tox-results show low doses of rat poison and arsenic in her system, but not in high enough doses that can kill her. We also know that he used Antifreeze, and various other poisons, all in an effort to give the woman false hope.

We think that, right before she dies, the UNSUB tells her that he was slipping the drugs to where she can take them, and watches as she resigns herself to death. We won't know that, however, until we catch the UNSUB."

"That's where you come in," Morgan said as the unit chief stopped talking. "La Grange is such a small town that, more than likely, the UNSUB is a member of the local militia. He could even be a cop, or a member of the local government. As we're not sure of whom we can or cannot trust in this matter, we need for the state police to assist us in our search."

"I don't think that will be a problem," Deputy Sanchez said. "Other than me, the only other member of the police force is a lieutenant that is only a volunteer at best. I had him vetted, and I've already submitted my own name for vetting. I've asked for all results to be sent to the Sheriff, and state police, so they should know if anything is missing."

"That's good," Garcia's voice came over the computer, "because we have a problem."

The room turned to the vibrant woman, who was looking at them with both pity and frustration.

"Can someone turn on CNN?" Garcia asked. JJ moved to the television in the room, and turned it on.

"_If you're just joining us, the bodies of five students at Las Vegas High School have been found in the school gymnasium. Cops on the scene have determined that the children, who range between the ages of fourteen and seventeen, were murdered and are in the process of informing their families. Until then, their identities are being withheld. A spokesperson for the LVPD has informed reporters that a call has been placed to the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit._

_Section Chief Erin Strauss, who oversees the Behavioral Analysis Unit, has contacted CNN and informed them that a team has already been assigned to the case. We'll keep you informed as more information comes in. Back to you Wolf!"_

_The screen cut back to a middle-aged man, with graying hair that was shaped like a lion's mane…_

"We can't go," Reid said softly.

"The Director has already agreed to your transfer. You're the easiest team to get together on such short notice, and your jet is already being prepped to takeoff," a woman's voice interrupted Garcia as the technical analyst moved out of the way. "And before you ask, Agent Hotchner, yes I did check to see if there were any other teams available, but this order came from my bosses."

"Chief Strauss," the man said stiffly, "I understand that, but we're dealing with a cannibal that has kidnapped multiple women over a long period of time. If we don't catch him now, we won't get another chance, unless he makes a mistake!"

"I'm sorry Agent Hotchner, but this case has to take precedence," the woman said, with no sound of regret in her voice, as the connection ended.

Hotch turned, his face stern as he said, "I'm sorry about this."

"It's not your fault," Deputy Sanchez said as the team started packing up. Hotch said, "We can give you a profile before we go."

Sanchez nodded, and said, "I'll give the profile to the staties after you're in the air, Agent Hotchner. Hopefully, you'll make it back before too long."

Hotch nodded, his face set in stone.

"You're looking for a white male between the ages of forty-five and sixty. He's lived in the area for at least fifteen years, possibly more. He had a wife named Diana, who either left him or was murdered by him. Either way, she won't be in his life anymore."

Reid stepped forward.

"The fact that the UNSUB likes to physically torture his brunette victims, and murders his blond victims, means that more than likely Diana was blond. He consumes them so that he can prevent them from leaving. Jennifer Walcott, and now Isabella Knightly, was simply the means to that end."

Derek said, "And he does not hold a steady job. As much as I hate to say it, more than likely he prostitutes the living victims in order to earn money. That means that he will live in an isolated area, most likely in the middle of the woods near where the victims were dumped."

Reid nodded, "This area," he said pointed at the colored in map, "is his comfort zone. Any suspect you have should live in these areas. If I had more time, I'd narrow the information down even more, but at the moment we can't. What I will do," Spence told the man, "is work on the geographic profile, and have it sent to the state police office."

"Most importantly," Hotch said again, "Do not involve the local militia in this investigation. Do not involve the mayor, or any member of the local government, until they are fully vetted by your people."

The state police nodded. Hotch said, "We will be back."

"I know Agent Hotchner," Deputy Sanchez said. "Hopefully, with your profile, we'll be able to narrow a suspect pool down, and catch the bastard doing this."

"I'll have Garcia keep a search going for any information relevant to this case," Hotch told the man.

As the team packed into the standard-issue SUV, none of them dared look back.

"_Diana," his sharp voice woke the sleeping woman. Her eyes fought to adjust to the low light in the room._

"_My name is Isabella!" the now groggy woman said as she sat up, her eyes glowing with a determination that he hadn't yet driven from her. That didn't bother him, though; he enjoyed the game far too much to want it over so quickly._

"_What do you want, bastard?" Diana asked him snappishly, her voice cracking as she fought to keep her composure against his more-intimidating aura. He grinned and licked his lips, as he leaned over her._

"_I just thought you'd want to know, Diana," the man said, breathing heavily in her face, his putrid stench causing her to vomit slightly. She gagged, and moved backward, defiance in her eyes that he knew would soon be extinguished._

"_I thought you'd want to know that the rescue you hoped was coming, isn't. That FBI team that was called here to find you have left, it's all over the county. That means that you, Diana, had better shape up quickly. My patience with you is running thin."_

_She spat in his face._

_His foot kicked out, striking the woman in her toned stomach. He reached down, and grabbed a handful of her hair, and said, "Now, get in the kitchen and cook me a steak!"_

"_I won't, you sick freak!"_

"_Oh really?" the man said, his eyes grim with excitement. He watched the fear enter her eyes for the first time, and she took the slightest step backwards._

"_It only stands to reason that where there's sacrifice, there's someone collecting on the sacrificial offerings. Where there's service, there is someone being served. The man who speaks to you of sacrifice is speaking of slaves and masters, and intends to be the master. – __Ayn Rand__"_


	16. Chapter Fifteen: Massacre

_CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Massacre_

"_Soap and education are not as sudden as a massacre, but they are more deadly in the long run. – __Mark Twain__" _

The plane was silent as it taxied down the runway.

The defeated looks about the members of Aaron Hotchner's team told the unit chief exactly what he needed to know. None of them felt right about the direction their case had taken, and while any case dealing with children was horrible, to take them off an equally horrible case simply because they were more convenient was a decision that none of them took great pride in. Especially not when, the unit chief knew, there were at least two other teams on call this week.

Still, as much as it wasn't fair, as much as he knew that none of them wanted to leave until Isabella Knightly was safely back home, the decision had been taken out of their hands. Not, Aaron admitted, that it was going to help them sleep any better tonight.

"This isn't right," Reid said a few minutes into their flight. "The probability of the UNSUB making a mistake now, when he hasn't in the past fifteen years, is astronomically high. He is too set into his routine, to deviate now. The only way he's going to make a mistake is if Isabella forces his hand."

"I know that Reid," Hotch said, his voice full of an anger that surprised them, "and you know that. But, unless and until we start running the bureau, there isn't anything we can do."

None of were shocked at the man's anger. They knew Aaron Hotchner was so angry because he had been chasing the UNSUB since he'd joined the FBI. The UNSUB's continued existence was a blemish on his record, and to get so close to catching him, only to be pulled away was something the man couldn't accept.

The team was silent for a few minutes, to give themselves time to calm down. Their emotions were running somewhat high at the moment, understandable given the circumstances.

"Alright," their chief said once sufficient time had passed, "None of us are happy about what's happened, but that doesn't mean we give anything less than our best. So, what do we know so far?"

JJ was the first to speak, looking at the faxes she'd just retrieved from Garcia. "There were a number of bodies, five, found at Las Vegas High School. The victim's ages range between the ages of sixteen and seventeen. Two of the victims were _sororal twins_, Charlotte and Melissa Gant, 17, whom were on the Women's Varsity Basketball team. Michael Winslow, 16, and William Carson, 16, were classmates and best friends, and both members of the Varsity Football team. The last victim, Shannon Mills, was 17 and the Varsity Cheerleading captain… I don't need to tell you all that media attention on this one is really high."

"No," Hotch said, "but thanks for it anyway. That will help to keep all of us on our toes. Do we have any pictures of the crime scene?"

"No," JJ said, "With the attention this case is getting, the LVPD didn't want to risk a leak getting a copy of them."

"That's fine," Hotch told the media liaison. "Alright, here's what we need to ascertain as fast as possible when we land: first obviously is whether or not they were dumped or killed where they lay, and second; who if at all, had access to the gymnasium at the time they were murdered. Once we have those things ascertained, Reid and JJ, will stay at the school, and do victimology as well as talk to the police on scene. Regardless, until we rule them, do not include any school personnel as part of the investigation."

The duo nodded, their faces set.

"Morgan and I will talk to the families. I don't need to tell any of you how delicate this situation is, so be careful what you say and who you say it too."

"_Mon Capitan_," the elegant voice of Penelope Garcia called from the laptop.

"What is it, Garcia?" Hotch asked.

"_I think you guys need to see this_," Garcia said. With that, the image on the screen changed. A live video feed replaced the woman, detailing the criminal past of the school janitor, whose name was being withheld, who was accused and convicted of domestic battery against his ex-wife. He was being heckled by parents and local reporters, as he was led out of the building, handcuffed. He was also the brother of a current teacher, the report stated, and was the only person of interest in the case.

"Hotch," Morgan asked, "How are we supposed to do our job now? The local police believe they have the right man already, so any part of our profile that doesn't point at him they're just going to disregard."

Hotch shook his head and said, "We'll need to be careful. Garcia, I want you to get started on the background checks on the staff. We'll be landing in two hours."

Garcia nodded.

"Get some sleep while you can, people. We need to be up and running when the landing gears hit the pavement."

**April 17, 2005: 6:30PM**

The plane landed without troubles, and the pilot let them know that they could start disembarking as soon as the portable stairs were in place.

"This still feels wrong," Spence said, his voice heavy with suppressed anger. JJ nodded, and rubbed his shoulder, before she said, "We know that, and we will return to La Grange, Spence. We will catch that sick bastard."

"I know that no one is exactly happy about this," Hotch said, "But we do have a case to solve. Yes, we all want La Grange to be our priority, but our orders come from above my head. When we get back to Quantico, I will be presenting a formal protest about Section Chief Strauss' behavior in regards to this case. Until then, we need to treat this case as we would any other case of its caliber. Am I understood?"

The team nodded, and settled into their game faces.

The trip to the school didn't take much longer than they thought it would, the streets were pretty clear. It was surprising; since they were in Las Vegas, but apparently, the state police had closed down the highway to make travel easier.

JJ stepped out first, and immediately separated to the media, where she started corralling them so the rest of the team could get away.

Spence absently listened to his partner's comments to the woman currently asking her a question about the deaths, and despite the fact that they'd just gotten off the plane, JJ didn't hesitate in stating that they were going to investigate the deaths as a homicide until such time they had no reason to suspect foul play.

He moved past her, and the two shared a look for half a second, before JJ averted her eyes too a male reporter that was pushing against the others in order to put a recorder into the blonds face.

When Spence stepped into the high school, which had closed down for the night, he stepped to the side to watch her. JJ didn't hesitate, upon noticing that they were inside. With a second to spare, she stepped backwards and said, "At this time, we are not taking any questions. When we have more information, we will call a press conference. Thank you for your time."

She smiled lightly for the camera that was still on her, and walked back too the walkway. An officer raised the tape so she could walk under it, and she nodded as she walked into the inner city high school.

"Are you the agents from the FBI?"

"We are," Hotch said, "Special Agent Aaron Hotchner. These are Agents Jennifer Jareau, Derek Morgan and Doctor Spencer Reid."

"I'm Officer Donna Lister, Las Vegas Police Department. We have CSI combing the scene, but they are taking all necessary precautions. Should we pull them out?"

"No, just let us see their pictures as they're printed. We'll also need access to the scene."

"I understand," the woman said. "Do you need a guide?"

"Agent Jareau and Doctor Reid will be staying behind too investigate the crime scene properly. They'll also want to talk to some of the first responders while Agent Morgan and I are out talking to the families."

"The families are all at the local precinct. We had them brought in to identify the bodies and requested they stay until you arrived," the LVPD officer stated.

"Thank you," Hotch told the officer, before he turned and said, "We'll meet at the precinct… and JJ keep Reid away from the casino's while were on duty, alright?"

JJ nodded and said, "No problem, Hotch. We know where our focus has to be, right Spence?"

Her young genius nodded.

"Doctor Reid, Agent Jareau, do you need a guide? If so, I'm sure we can get someone to show you around." Officer Lister said softly.

"No, we're fine," Spence told the woman, "I know my way around."

"You came to school here, didn't you Spence?"

Spence nodded and said, "I did. Some of the best and worst moments of my life occurred in these halls."

JJ nodded.

The duo moved through the halls like a couple of old pros, and it was amazing to see Spence's brain at work… even after all these years he could still navigate these halls with hardly a problem.

She almost stopped when they passed a smaller display case, where she swore she saw a picture of her boyfriend, all of thirteen years old, holding a diploma. But Spence either didn't see it, or ignored it, in order too get too the room they needed.

When they came upon the gymnasium, she was surprised to see the number of officers in front of the place. More than a few had sick looks on their faces, and one was putrid green, a sign the young man was close to loosing his lunch.

"Can I see some ID?" the officer standing at the tape asked as they approached. JJ pulled her ID, as did Spence, and held them out to the man. He said, "Agents," and held up the tape as they crossed under it.

They paused for just the briefest of seconds at the door, before they took a simultaneous breath and pushed through. The CSI team was using black lights to track pools of blood that had been either cleaned or washed away when they entered, but what was the most surprising to the duo was the amount of blood, or other liquids that showed up under the light.

"Can I help you," one of the CSI asked as they walked up to them. "I'm Agent Jareau; this is Doctor Spencer Reid, FBI. We need to canvass the scene."

"Feel free," the young man said his voice catching as he looked at the carnage around them. "We're almost done here."

When the CSI had left, they turned all of the lights on, and took a brief look around the room. The first thing eerily evident was the smell of blood that permeated everything. It seemed like the room had been soaked in the life-giving plasma.

That was the second thing eerily evident. The amount of blood was far more than anyone could imagine. Spence, she noticed, was staring at the blood as if a fascinating pattern had emerged. Knowing his brain, JJ mentally corrected the statement.

The third thing that was eerily evident was the flood drain that was in the middle of the large basketball court. The blood pool was travelling in that direction. That alone told the media liaison that an untold number of horrible things could have happened in the room.

The thought alone made her sick to her stomach.

She looked up, and confirmed the thought she'd had, that there were fire sprinklers above them in case of emergency.

"Agent Jareau, Doctor Reid, I'm Officer Stewart. I was asked to liaise with the FBI while you're in town. The rest of the team has left to check the other secured areas of the school."

**With Morgan and Hotch **

It was a gruesome job talking to the next-of-kin of any victim, Hotch thought to himself as they finished listening to the sobs of Maria and Jeremiah Gant, but so much more when the victims were the children of those next-of-kin.

It sometimes made him wonder why he'd chosen to transfer into this field in the first place. He could have had his choice of cushy assignments, and he would never need worry about whether or not Haley, or his unborn son, was going to be alright. And hearing stories of grieving parents was not helping.

As the last parent walked out of the office they'd commandeered upon their arrival, Hotch looked at Morgan, and he took a large sigh of discontent.

"These kids were almost identical socially," Hotch said. "Other than the obvious connection between Charlotte and Melissa Gant, we have the fact that all of the teens were considered prodigies at their given sports."

"We also have the fact that they had the same peers, Hotch," Morgan said, "Melissa Gant and Shannon Mills were best of friends, and Michael Winslow was actually dating Charlotte Gant. It's not a stretch to think that William Carson wanted to date Melissa, but from everything we've heard, he a socially awkward teen that enjoyed football."

"We need to have Garcia check into their financials." Hotch said to his partner, who already had his phone out and was holding the phone to his ear.

"Hey sweet tang," Morgan said a second later, after listening to Garcia's totally unique greeting. "Yeah, I know you hate this part, baby girl, but we need to know if the UNSUB would have any financial reason to kill these kids. Check the kids' financials, and if they don't have any, check the parents."

He laughed at Garcia's response, and said, "I'll do that, baby girl."

As he hung up the phone, he turned to Hotch and said, "She's pulling their financials now, Hotch. She also ordered me to pass a message along."

Hotch turned to him and raised his brow.

"Haley has ordered Garcia to have you call," Morgan said. "She just got back from her doctor's appointment."

Hotch's eyes widened and he cursed slightly before he picked up his phone.

"Hey Haley," Hotch's baritone voice said a few seconds later, "Yeah… I am in Las Vegas now. I'm sorry; I really wanted to be at the appointment."

He listened to his wife before he said, "I know, I'll make it up to you, I promise. What did the doctor say?"

Morgan looked at the man, and smiled as a look of brief euphoria crossed his features. He smiled, "Yes, honey, I'll thank him for you. How long did the Doctor say you were going to be on bed rest?"

He winced and said, "That long? When I get back, I'll ask for some time off too…" but he was cut off as Haley said something that caused the man to chuckle.

"I love you too," Hotch said softly. "I'll be home sometime tonight, hopefully."

"What was that about?" Derek asked Hotch as the man ended his conversation. Hotch said, "Remind me to give Spencer Reid a giant hug."

Derek looked at the man like he'd gone crazy, but shrugged and said, "I'll do that, Hotch… but you might have to fight off JJ if you want to get that close."

Hotch turned to the man, his patented glare on his face as he said, "What was that?"

Derek laughed and said, "You're to easy, Hotch. How is Haley?"

"She's been placed on bed rest for the next two weeks, she's having cravings for a ham and pickle with blue-cheese pizza, and she is constantly saying that she looks like an elephant. Other than that, she's wonderful."

Derek laughed softly for the briefest of seconds, before he said, "Do you want to see if the others are ready for dinner yet?"

Hotch nodded, and took out his phone. He pressed a button for his speed dial, and sighed when the phone answered on the second ring.

"Reid, its Hotch. Morgan and I are done with the interviews. Do you want to meet up for dinner so we can go over what we've found out so far?"

The phone was silent for a second, and JJ's voice came over the phone a second later. Hotch chuckled for a second and said, "Alright, we'll meet you there."

Morgan looked at the man as he ended the conversation again, and said, "JJ and Reid just left the school and are on their way here. They had the same idea that we did."

They sat around the room for the next half hour, throwing theories back and forth about the UNSUB and what he or she was trying to accomplish by murdering teenagers. So deep into their conversation, that neither noticed when the JJ and Reid entered and took seats beside them.

"Hey guys," JJ said ending their conversation. They both turned, and Hotch said, "Reid, don't look too far into this."

The young genius frowned for the briefest of seconds, before Hotch pulled the man in to a swift, one-armed hug, and released him just as quickly. "That was from Haley. She got the results on the baby back today, and he doesn't have 3-M Syndrome."

Reid smiled, and Hotch nodded glad to have gotten his point across to the young man. Then, as one, the four of them stood and exited the precinct.

They went to the closest Chinese restaurant they could find, and as one entered. The place was packed to capacity, but they were still invited in. The waitress informed them that they offered carry-out. Hotch sighed in slight relief, the adrenaline of the day having played havoc on his system.

Once they'd received the carry-out boxes, Hotch said, "did anyone think to call ahead and book a couple of rooms?"

JJ sighed, "I didn't have time between the cases, Hotch."

He sighed and said, "Hopefully we can find one that has open rooms. We might have to double-up, though."

"Actually," Reid said softly, "If… If you guys don't mind, we can all head to my house for the night."

JJ smiled at her boyfriend and said, "That's a great idea, Spence!"

"Your house, Reid?" Hotch asked in confusion. Reid blushed and said, "I grew up here, Hotch."

Hotch sighed and said, "If you have the room, that solves the immediate problem, Reid."

Reid nodded and said, "I have four bedrooms and two bathrooms," he told the man softly. "There's also a safe for our guns that I'll give you the combination too when we get there."

Hotch nodded again, "It'll only be for tonight, Reid. I'll call tomorrow and reserve some rooms, if the case looks like it's going to take much longer."

Reid nodded again and said, "That's fine, Hotch. Morgan, you'll need to take the next right."

Morgan nodded absently. Twenty minutes later, they pulled out in front of his two stories, tan and white house. Spence turned to the two and said, "I have electricity, and water, but not cable or internet. Until recently, I was the only one staying here when I came to Las Vegas, so I never bothered to have anything else turned on. That said, I do have a selection of movies, and of course more than one book if you want to read something. There's also a Blockbuster down the street, if I don't have what you want to watch."

The two men turned and said, "Thanks," before JJ took his keys and unlocked his door. Spence said, "She was the first person I ever brought here."

His teammate's eyes widened.

"Reid, if you're not comfortable with…"

He shook his head as quickly as he dared, and said, "No, it's not like that Hotch. What I meant is that I usually don't have guests over when we're at home, and other than JJ, you guys are the only ones I've ever brought to here. I mean…" he paused, and looked longingly at the door wishing that his girlfriend was here to explain his thoughts better, but took a deep breath, "What I mean is I want you guys to feel comfortable while we're here."

Hotch nodded gratefully and said, "Haley for one will be happy to know that we're safe for the night. Thank you, Reid."

"You're welcome," the genius said softly. As they entered, he sighed, "The safe is in the master bedroom… I never expected to have anyone over so never installed anymore; anyways the combination is 79-14-30-55."

Hotch and Morgan nodded, and after the young genius pointed them in the right direction, went to holster their sidearms. JJ came into the living room, her eyes soft as she approached him and said, "You handled that very well, boyfriend of mine."

He smiled and said, "Thanks JJ. But…" he frowned again, "Can you explain something to me?"

She nodded. "Why did Hotch hug me? Were they happy that their child did not have 3-M Syndrome?"

JJ frowned for a second and said, "No. What I know of Hotch and Haley tells me that they'd have loved their child regardless. But," she told him, "They were happy that there son was physically healthy, and Haley wanted you to know that she appreciated the knowledge you shared with them."

Spencer's face lit up and he said, "I'm glad I could help."

"I know you are, honey," JJ said softly. Neither noticed as Hotch silently walked back into the bedroom, his footsteps silent.

Dinner that night was a solemn affair. Thoughts ranging from their problems with the local UNSUB, and their abandonment of Isabella Knightly to the ravings of a deranged lunatic kept the team awake far into the night.

So, with nothing better to do, and with the knowledge that sleep would probably evade them for the next few hours, the team settled down into the large living room, a bundle of movies, and an extra large deck of playing cards between them.

JJ, nestled against her boyfriend, glanced at the deck of playing cards which to her seemed to be four decks placed haphazardly together, to the television before them, as the final images of the movie faded off the screen. Hotch, to the side, watched with a soft smile, as the last few images faded from existance, before he hung his phone up softly with a whispered, "I love you, honey. Sleep tightly."

Their chief had asked her genius whether he'd ever seen the movie, or not, and wondered if he'd feel offended if Hotch called to talk to Haley. When the woman asked what they were watching, like a couple of teenagers, the two of them synchronized the movie so that they could laugh and joke at appropriate times.

Her eyes naturally shifted to her boyfriend, who'd stared at the movie in confusion, before she sighed and realized she'd need to explain the idea behind watching suedo-romantic dramas, and the inherent idea behind them.

The only member of their team asleep, Derek was stretched in the recliner Spence said had been his fathers. They, naturally, were on the same loveseat they'd sat upon the last time they were here, and almost in the same position they had that first night.

Unbidden, her eyes moved to her boyfriend, as she felt his gaze upon her once again. She shuddered in slight contentment.

His eyes were watching her with a sparkle of amusement.

"Reid," Hotch said softly, as he stood. His knees popped from the position he'd been sitting in, stretched on Reid's short, black leather couch.

"Yes sir," her young genius said softly. She smiled, as the rumble in his chest coursed through her.

"I think I'm going to head to bed now."

She sat up and waited to see how her boyfriend would answer their boss. Reid looked at him and said, "There are two bedrooms upstairs, and one off the kitchen that are open, sir. Take any one you'd like."

The man nodded and silently bypassed the master bedroom, his boots making silent thumping noises as he made his way upstairs.

"Should we wake him up?" Reid asked, gesturing to their other friend and teammate. She glanced at Derek, who was slightly uncomfortable in the too small chair, an indication that Reid received his small stature from both of his parents instead of just his mother.

She walked over slightly, just outside of Derek's reach and said, "Morgan, get your ass up and go to bed."

He jarred awake and, with a sleepy grin, said, "Do the kids want alone time?"

She stifled her immediate response, a snort of laughter, and said, "I just thought you'd be happier in a bed, instead of where you are. Spence and I, however, are heading to bed, so we'll see you in the morning."

Derek stood, and he said, "Thanks JJ. Kid?"

After giving their friend the locations of the two rooms, he decided to also make his way upstairs, and gave the two of them a sly smile, before he said, "Sleep tight."

**April 18, 2005: 7:35AM**

A contented sigh echoed in her mind as JJ flittered back awake early the next morning. The events of the past day, the exhaustion from one emotionally draining case and the even worse exhaustion of having a second case thrust at them, washed away as a river of contentment flowed through her highly sensitive body.

She sighed in pleasure, her eyes fluttering open as the steady staccato of her genius' heartbeat flowed through her, and for an instant she wished, just for an instant, that they were back at home, or alone, so that she could take advantage of her boyfriend without the fear that their teammates would hear, and worse, be required to report their behavior.

She arched as she got up, and placed a tender kiss to her boyfriends slightly parted lips. Amusement filled her as his body naturally responded to her. She hated to wake her young genius, but the day had only just begun, and so with no small amount of regret, she ripped him from Morpheus' embrace.

His eyes opened softly, and wonder entered his eyes. It was a look that the woman in her never got tired of, but the Agent in her ruthlessly tried to suppress.

"Come on, lover, Hotch and Morgan will be up any minute."

Spencer Reid, PhD, groaned.

"I swear that our UNSUB's purposefully choose the most deranged ways imaginable to do the things they do, just so that they can interrupt our private lives."

JJ snorted, the attempt to suppress the amusement in her young genius' words in vain.

"You'd know better than I would, Spence."

Nodding, her boyfriend acknowledged her words and said, "I'll call about breakfast, JJ, if you want to go ahead and take the first shower."

"Are you saying I stink, Doctor Reid," she asked him, her eyes arching as she watched him in amusement. His eyes widened for the briefest fraction of a second, before he shook his head and said, "No, but I do know that you like to take a shower after first waking up, Jennifer."

"That sounds like a good idea," she admitted softly, going to stand, before his hand wrapped around her wrist, and his other cupped her face. Her eyes widened in shock, before he raised his lips to hers. Unconsciously, she moved to cover him, and for the fraction of a second, she wondered if her boyfriend had a bit of an exhibitionist in him, before he pulled away from her and said, "Good morning, Jennifer, I love you."

She growled playfully as she rose to her knees, straddling him as she felt tightly restrained arousal press against her, before she said, "I love you too, and breakfast sounds wonderful."

With that, she reluctantly separated, and walked into the bathroom.

**With Reid**

His eyes watched as she left the room, unconsciously following the sway of her hips as his beautiful, vivacious girlfriend sashayed from him. A lump lodged itself into his throat, and for the briefest of seconds, he wondered about the direction of their relationship, which to him have seemed to move as fast as a light year.

Still, the young genius couldn't help but smile at the lingering feeling his girlfriend's lips caused him.

Silently picking up the nearest phone, Spencer dialed the number for his favorite restaurant in this part of town, and made reservations for a table of four. For a moment, he thought about placing the orders for his teammate's favorite breakfasts, but thought better of it.

Quickly going to the closet, Spencer gave the items held within a cursory glance, and for the briefest of moments, he pulled out a large, plastic bag, and wondered about his intentions of having JJ wear this particular outfit one day in the near future, and if that would be too big a step.

Cautiously placing the bag back into the closet, he bent down and got their ready bags, and pulled JJ's last clean outfit from within. He then hesitantly looked inside his, and noticed that unlike her, he didn't have anything that he could comfortably wear.

The creak of their bathroom door drew his attention, and Spence turned around, and felt his breath leave his chest. The vision before him was ethereal, and for the briefest of moments, he felt his brain shut down as his eyes crept down his girlfriends' towel-wrapped, slightly glistening frame.

"Like what you see, Spence?" she grinned as he stepped forward automatically, before he seemed to remember that technically they weren't at his home on vacation, but as a matter of professional courtesy to his team, and he stepped backwards.

"Very much, JJ," he gathered himself. "To be honest, I'd like nothing more to unwrap you, and…" he trailed off, his brain reengaging as he saw the smoldering look in his girlfriend's eyes.

With a hesitant step forward, he passed her the outfit in her ready bag, and with a muttered apology said that it was the only thing she had that was clean, and that he didn't have enough for her to return the favor. She looked at him with slight disbelief and said that she'd think of something, before shooing him into the bathroom.

Neither noticed the bedroom door close.

His shower ended more quickly than he would have imagined, and Spencer made his way to the safe, grabbing the guns, one at a time, and readied them for service, before he placed them in a box he had sat inside just for this scenario. Turning to the bed, Spencer saw a clean, pressed outfit that he'd not worn in almost three years laid out before him, with a note atop it.

"_For the record, I'd like nothing more than for you to unwrap me too_, _JJ_"

For the second time in as less than an hour, his brain shut down.

Silently, he made his way downstairs, less than fifteen minutes after he'd entered the bathroom, to see his teammates sitting in his kitchen, a pot of coffee on the table in front of him. He absently counted the four cups, one of which his girlfriend already had poured out as if waiting for him to come downstairs. Absently, she passed him the fuller of the two.

"Thank you, JJ," he said softly, before turning to his unit chief and said, "I hope you slept alright, Hotch, and I thank you for staying."

"Thank nothing of it, Reid," their chief said, "I slept wonderfully."

"Yeah kid, better than any motel, that's for sure." Morgan said.

"If it's alright, I've made arrangements for us to head to breakfast before we go to the precinct. It's only five minutes away, and it's one of my favorite places to eat while I'm here."

"Lead the way," Hotch said.

**Las Vegas Police Department: 8:30AM**

The team was energetic, almost confident as they arrived later that morning; the doubts, and anger, of the day before gone, as they determined to catch the person murdering young teenagers. Hotch's face was set in stone as he approached the captain, Mitchell Straighthand, and demanded an update.

The captain's face twisted into a cool smirk, as if he had suddenly found himself in a position superior to that of the FBI's best. The man was confident, and he approached them with the swagger of a man assured of his position.

"Captain Straighthand," Hotch took the lead, "I'm sorry we didn't get to meet yesterday. My team hit the ground running, as it were, so I hope you understand. I'm SSA Hotchner; with me are SSA's Morgan, Jareau and Doctor Reid."

"Mighty good of you folks to show up," the arrogant captain said, a smile on his face. "We've got the suspect in interrogation, and my guys are working him over. You're free to look in, but it looks like the case is already over."

Morgan looked at Hotch; whose shoulders tensed as the captains words hit him.

"Well," JJ said softly, "We all can hope that this is resolved peacefully, but I'm sure that we'd like to take you up on your offer, Captain."

The captain looked at her, before his eyes widened, and he swept his eyes over her. JJ resisted the urge to shift uncomfortably, and was relieved when Derek, catching the man eying her, stepped in between the two of them.

"Our… our interrogation room is this way. But, like I said, we're confident we have the guy."

The team followed the captain through the sweeping halls. No words were heard as they walked through, just in time to hear a hand slam down on a table.

"Listen Jenkins," the cop standing over the large, well-muscled man said, "we get it, those kids probably tormented you everyday. A man like you, who's been on the inside, won't take any disrespect from kids a third your age, right?"

"And lets face it," his partner said, a smug grin on his face as he looked at the man, "Your record speaks for itself, Jenkins. You beat your wife so badly that the woman fell into a permanent coma."

"I've already told you people I had nothing to do with this. Sure, that Carson kid was always causing me trouble, but the Gant kids were alright by me. Hell, I didn't even know the other two!"

"Of course you didn't, those five kids were the most popular kids in the school, as a member of the staff, and you'd be in a perfect position to get close to them."

"He acts like he's telling the truth," Hotch said turning to his team. Derek nodded.

"What do you mean," JJ, the only member of the team that hasn't trained to read body language, asked?

"There are various cues the body has that indicate whether or not a person is lying," the good doctor turned to his girlfriend. "Eye position while telling a story is one such indicator; Mister Jenkins looked down and to the right, which means he's accessing his memory while talking to the interrogators. That means that what he was saying, he was remembering. If he'd looked down and to the left he was accessing a different part, and was fabricating everything he was saying."

"Or," the captain said behind them, "he could be a really good liar."

Hotch turned to him and said, "We're not discounting that possibility, Captain. Right now, we're trying to get a feel for Mister Jenkins' personality. My team is going to want to do a new search of the school, and if possible, we need to talk to Mister Jenkins."

"Why?" the captain said, "He's a good suspect."

"Wouldn't you rather he be the right suspect?" Hotch asked the man, his eyes staring at the captain. The captain nodded.

"Alright, I'll tell my guys to work with you on this, and I'd appreciate it if you do the same?"

"We will," Hotch said, "JJ, I want you to stay here and coordinate with the local police. Morgan, have Garcia pull the financials for all of the staff at the school, including Mister Jenkins and his sister, and have it sent to Reid. Then, I want you to speak with the Winslow's and the Carson's with the other victims, and asks them if their children had any contact outside of school. Also ask about Melissa's relationship with Michael and see if there were any problems we'll need to know about. I'll talk to the Gant's and the Mills', and ask the same things. Reid, I need you to head to the school, and search for anything out of place, and I'll have Garcia send you the information on the staff that are of interest if any.

Don't go looking to prove or disprove Mister Jenkins guilt, look at this as any other case with an unknown subject. If Mister Jenkins is guilty, our profile will tell us."

With that, the team split.

**With Hotch: 9:00AM**

Hotch left the precinct soon after he arrived, and climbed into the standard issue SUV without pausing for a break. He groaned in frustration, before he grabbed his keys, and started the engine. With a roar, he was out of the precinct, and down and into the streets.

By the time he arrived to the first of the two stops he'd need to make today, he was filled with exhaustion. Last night was filled with terrors he wouldn't wish on any of the various UNSUB's he'd investigated over the years.

So, as he pulled into the driveway of Shannon Mills' home, he was mildly relieved that there were only two cars in the driveway. Quietly placing his badge on his lapel, and his gun on his side, Hotch climbed out and schooled his features.

Silently, he approached the door, and stopped to consider the arrangement that the Mills' door presented. They had an old fashioned knocker on their door and beside it a depressor for a doorbell. Mentally cataloguing the reasons behind it, he chose to go for the knocker itself, on the off chance that is what they would prefer at this time.

He heard a loud yell of what seemed to be frustration, and a door slam, and was about to break the door down, when it opened roughly, and a small child, a little girl of about six, opened the door.

He frowned. Nothing indicated that Shannon had a sister.

"MOMMY THERE'S A STRANGE MAN AT UNCLE JAMES' DOOR!"

He winced, but was glad that the visitors were family instead of well-meaning, but less understanding, friends that had no emotional attachment to them.

"Can I help you," a woman of twenty-nine asked as she opened the door?

"Ma'am, I am Supervisory Special Agent, Aaron Hotchner, with the Behavioral Analysis Unit. I need to speak with James and Michelle Mills, if it's at all possible."

The woman eyed him for a moment, before saying, "SSA Hotchner, I'm Special Agent Lisa Mills. Please come in."

His eyes widened as he stepped inside.

"I'm surprised that your team was assigned this case, Agent Hotchner, with what was going on in La Grange. But, I'm glad you're here none-the-less. My superiors have ordered me to not pursue the case, so at least I know that one of the best is on the case."

He nodded as she continued, "I'll get my brother, Agent."

"Thank you, Agent," he said softly.

A few minutes later, a man entered. It was obvious that he had been drinking. A few seconds later, a second woman entered the room, and sat beside her husband, no less drunk, but under the circumstances that was understandable.

"As I said to Agent Mills, I'm Special Agent Hotchner. My team and I were sent to investigate the deaths of your daughter, and the others, at the school. I know that platitudes don't mean much, but for what it's worth, I am sorry for your loss."

"Do you have children, Agent Hotchner," James Mills said suddenly.

"Not yet," the man said softly.

"Then please save us your platitudes," Michelle said angrily. He nodded, but noticed that Lisa's eyes widened at his answer. He shook his head, only a fraction of a second, but she noticed it and sat back.

"What makes your team so special that my sister couldn't have handled the investigation with her team?"

"My team has been specially trained to read the motives behind any death, and to be able to find, based on precedent and historical knowledge as well as our knowledge in human nature, and build a profile of who the murderer is."

"They really are the best, James, that's why I was so surprised when he introduced himself. His team in particular has a ninety-seven percent closure rate, which is about the best in the entire bureau."

"And our cold cases are never forgotten," Hotch assured the man.

"Then ask your questions, Agent Hotchner," Michelle said.

"I need you to know that some of these questions are standard, and do not actually reflect any way on our opinion of your daughter. But, they are often personal, and so I apologize in advance.

"Have you noticed anything odd about Shannon in these past few weeks that would cause you to worry about her mental health?"

"Do you mean like drugs and things?"

He hesitantly nodded his head.

"Lisa told us that would be one of the first things you ask," James said to the man, who shot the other Agent a look, but focused his attention back to the man. "No. She experimented once a few years ago and felt so horrible afterwards that we had to take her to the hospital, or she would have died. She swore to us that she'd never again take drugs again, and as far as I know, even stopped hanging out with the group that had pushed her too them."

Hotch nodded, and said, "I'm glad she learned her lesson after the first time. So my next question concerns her daily schedule. It is our understanding that your daughter was the Varsity Cheerleading captain at her school. Can you tell me about what her hours were in response to that?"

"Shannon," James said with a slight hiccup, "would always wake up about six thirty in the morning, and be out the door by seven. School starts at eight. For the first hour in the mornings, she and her teammates would work on their conditioning, and their cheer programs. After school," James said, trailing off.

"After school, our daughter claims that she and the others on the squad would always do another workout, but never got home until after five. We think that they would head to the Football teams practice and watch."

Hotch nodded, remembering his own high school days.

"Do you remember anything different in her schedule the day that your daughter died?"

Both nodded almost immediately.

He looked at the other agent in the house, who immediately bowed her head in shame.

"We received a call after the last bell of the day. It was Shannon. She said that she was asked to stay behind to attend a meeting with some school staff about the new rule. We assumed it was some sort of student protest, and was proud of her for standing up for an unjust decision made by their principal, Harold Henderson."

Hotch filed that information away.

"Did she know the Gant's, Carson's, or Winslow's, socially?"

"She was friends with Charlotte and Melissa growing up, those three were always inseparable. When Charlotte and Melissa tried out for the basketball team, Shannon was there to cheer them along. Some of the other girls teased her for cheering on women, but those two always appreciated it. And yes, she did know William. They have been dating for the past five years."

"Our research showed that William was interested in dating Melissa Gant, not that she was already in a steady relationship."

"That would be hard to accept, Agent Hotchner, as Melissa was a lesbian."

That, Hotch thought, put a spin on things.

"So what about the rumors," Lisa asked, then blushed as she apologized for speaking out of turn?

"Oh, Melissa didn't want anyone else to know. But, when the school, not the board mind, passed a rule that lesbian or gay students were barred from being on sports teams, she approached Shannon, one of the few people she'd trusted with her secret, and asked if it would be possible to 'date' William.

Shannon agreed, with the understanding that William would be told that there were no actual feelings between them. They were going to implement the plan this week, with a huge blow-out between my daughter and her boyfriend, and they would avoid each other in the halls until the issue was settled."

"Your daughter was a good friend," Hotch said softly.

"That's good to hear," James said, "We always supported her, and she never gave us a reason to withdraw that support. Sure," the man said, "she had her bad days, and when they arrived, they were horrible, but overall, I was proud of her."

"I have one more question, and…" he trailed off when Michelle turned and said, "My daughter had dated William for five years, Agent Hotchner. I'm sure, at some point, they became sexually active. But, if they had, she never told me, and I never had reason to be suspicious."

He nodded, and said, "Alright, I thank you for your time, Mr. and Mrs. Mills. Agent, would you mind coming with me really quickly?"

She nodded and said, "I'll be right back, you two. Would you watch Sophia until I return?"

"Of course," James said.

Once outside, he turned to her and said, "I'm sure, with your resources, you have a different perspective of your niece's relationship with Mister Carson?"

"Of course, but it's as they said, nothing too suspicious to worry about. I can confirm that they were sexually active, had been for two years after a slight mishap caused them to break up for a few weeks, but there were no indications that there was any other kind of trouble in their relationship."

Hotch looked at the other Agent, and said, "Thank you, Agent Mills, and please accept my condolences."

"Accepted," the Agent said before closing the door behind him.

_This case just got a bit more curious…_

He approached the SUV, and pulled the phone from his pocket.

"_Morgan, its Hotch. Make sure to ask Mr. Carson's parents about his relationship with Miss Mills, and get their opinion on Lisa Mills. Yes," Hotch said a soft frown on his face, "I am saying that Miss Mills, and Mr. Carson were in a long-term relationship. See if he talked to his father about any problems. Yes, I'm on my way to the Gant's home now… alright, keep me updated._"

As the thoughts running through his head about the case took a steep turn, Hotch took the first left he came too and sighed.

Now, he needed to speak with the Gant's…

**With Reid: 9:11AM**

Spencer stepped quietly into the school; his feet echoing in the quiet, empty halls. Around him, ghosts of his past haunted him. Hastily, he closed his eyes to tune out the memories. Garcia's search had already come up with a list of suspicious behavior that he had every indication of investigating.

He took his left at a long, loose hall that stood empty. He quietly, observantly made his way too the fourth room on the left side, and entered without a knock.

Inside, a woman slightly older than him sat behind a desk. She wasn't on Garcia's list of suspects, but if memories were anything to go by, she would have an ear to the ground.

"Hello Alexa," he said softly to the woman who had, so long ago crushed his budding puberty. He silently cursed his eidetic memory, when Garcia had returned him a list of names of the current staff, separated too that was suspicious, and who wasn't, he was surprised to see the name of the girl that had almost destroyed him emotionally.

Her head jerked in surprise, and she gasped as she looked at a picture on the back wall of her classroom. His eyes moved there independently, and he was surprised to see a picture of himself holding his diploma, surrounded yet solitary amongst the masses of his fellow graduates.

"Hello Doctor Reid," she said softly in response. "It's good to see you again. Are you in town for the reunion?"

He paused, doing the mental calculations, and realized that their graduating class reunion was this month. That, he could do without. With a small shake of his head, the genius pulled his badge.

"I assume you're here about the murders?" she asked. He nodded his head. "Yes," the doctor said. "Our technical analyst gave me a list of teachers that have alibis for the time of death, and also for those that have no criminal record. Your name came up on both of those lists. So, I was wondering if I could speak with you about the current state of affairs."

"Of course," she said awkwardly, "Come on, I'd rather not have this conversation in the school."

He stood.

The walk back to his SUV was packed with tension, and he could feel a crushing weight he hadn't felt since the first time JJ told him she loved him settle itself onto his shoulders. Stealthily, he looked at the woman that had one time held his heart, and had nearly crushed it, and wondered if she still remembered that day as vividly as he.

"What do you need to know, Doctor Reid?" she asked, looking at his badge.

"What do you know about the victims? Were they in any of your classes?"

She nodded. "I've taught all of them at one point or the other, as have most of the teachers. Charlotte and Melissa were both in my sophomore and junior Spanish classes. Michael took introductory to Spanish before he transferred to French at Charlotte's behest, and William, of course, was the TA for his classes. I only met, and taught, Shannon through the squad, but yes, I knew all of them."

He nodded. "So, you'd have an insight into their lives? Could you tell me anything about them?"

"Charlotte and Melissa couldn't have been more different. Charlotte had five different boyfriends during her years here, and was always flirting with anyone that would look twice at her. Melissa I've never seen with a boyfriend, and she didn't have many male friends, other than Michael and William. She was friends with Shannon, though.

Michael was Charlotte's most current boyfriend, and the two have been dating six months, with is about five months longer than any of her other relationships. There was a rumor a couple of months ago that he proposed, and that she turned him down for some personal reason, but their relationship was stronger for it.

William and Shannon have been dating for as long as it seems most students remember. They started, from what I understand, the last day of their seventh grade year… and were even planning to go off to college together.

Shannon is really the only one I didn't know that well. She and Melissa were friends for years before ever coming here and there was never any indication that there were problems in their friendship, but about two years ago, during one of her few rough patches with William, she and Melissa spent two weeks avoiding each other. The rumor was that Melissa was the cause of the break-up, and that they were mad at each other.

Once Shannon and William got back together, there was a newer aspect to their relationship. I'm sure that is when they started having sex, but I was never able to get either of them to admit it to anyone."

Reid nodded, and was about to ask another question when his phone rang. Curious as to whom would be calling him, he answered on the second ring.

"Hey Hotch, what can I do for you?"

A frown covered his face, and he looked at Alexa Lisbon, before he said, "Hold on, Hotch, I'm talking to a teacher that Garcia cleared now. Can you give me a second to speak with her? Thanks," he said before turning back to her and said, "Our chief was just talking to Shannon Mills parents, and they informed him about a new rule that your principal had enacted about homosexual couples and sports."

She nodded, "It wasn't one of the most popular decisions, and there are a number of openly homosexual students in our school, many of whom are involved in sports-related activity. Many of them are already involved in a relationship with other members of their team, and none of the other students were ever bothered by it.

One of the cheerleaders, Heather Hillman…" she winced at the girl's last name, "was involved with a member of the Women's Varsity Basketball team this year, supposedly, but would never tell anyone whom. She was forced off of the squad because of this rule, and the schoolboard has been sued by GLAAD and the ACLU because they claim that this local decision was a violation of our students' rights."

Spencer noticed her hesitance, and said, "What aren't you telling me?"

She sighed. "Heather is my goddaughter…" as if that was enough. And to Spencer Reid, it was.

He nodded, ignoring the ice that melted down his back at the implications, and said, "Thank you. Do you know of anything that would have taken place after school the day of the murders that would have caused them to stay behind?"

She shook her head slightly. Spencer sighed, knowing that it was well worth the effort, and said, "Alright. Thank you for speaking with me… I'll need to speak with a couple of your colleagues, but I believe that your information is most helpful," before turning away from the woman.

As he approached the school, mentally accessing the list Garcia had sent him, his eyes caught the sight of the football field, and he winced.

Shaking the loose thoughts from his mind, he steadied himself and walked inside the school, and went to his next interviewee.

**With Morgan: 9:00AM**

If there were three things Derek Morgan hated, it would be having dates interrupted, talking to UNSUB's and having to talk to the families of deceased children.

And not, he thought, in any particular order.

As he pulled up too the converted duplex that the Winslow's lived in, the tall, well-muscled man knocked softly on the door. At the moment, he had to do number one on that list.

A burly, visibly intoxicated man opened the door.

"Can I help you?" he asked a tilt of anger in his voice. Derek raised his badge and said, "Mister Winslow, Derek Morgan, FBI, I was hoping to speak with you about your son."

The man eyed him confusedly, before he said, "What's Dwayne have to do with any of this."

"Is this Reverend Winslow's residence?"

"It is," the man said… then his eyes widened and he said, "You want to speak with Mark about Mike?"

Without waiting for an answer, the man turned and said, "MARK A FED IS HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT MIKE!"

The door opened, and a man nearly identical to the first entered the room, and eyed him uncomfortably.

"Marcus Winslow?" Derek said a second later, realizing that he'd missed the part where the victim's father had an identical twin, and said, "Derek Morgan, FBI."

"Please, sit." The man, dressed in his Sunday's best, gestured to the chairs to the side. "I'm Reverend Marcus Winslow, my brother Michael was just leaving when you arrived."

Derek noticed the wince when he said his brother's name.

"Reverend," Derek said, "I apologize for interrupting you at this time. On behalf of my team, I'd like to offer my condolences for your loss."

The holy man nodded, and bowed his head as he said, "Your condolences are well-received, Agent Morgan. Is there anything I can do to help?"

The Agent nodded, and said, "I need to ask you some questions about your son and the other's that were found at the school."

"Go ahead," he said, "But if you want to speak with my wife also, she's currently over at her sister's house. She couldn't sleep here last night, too painful. I suggested that she should go…"

"That's understandable," Derek said, "And if I get enough information here, I won't need to bother your wife."

"Then ask your questions, Agent, and I'll do my best to answer them."

Derek nodded.

"Have you noticed anything odd about Michael in these past few weeks that would cause you to worry about his mental health?"

"No," the reverend said. "I know he wasn't doing drugs, as part of being on the football team, he was tested regularly. And, his relationship with Charlotte was moving along very well, even better considering the Gants are white, while my son, and I, is not."

"And your wife," Derek said looking around at the pictures. In all of them, a white woman stood reverently beside the reverend in many pictures.

"Helen is not Michael's birth mother," he said hesitantly, "but adopted him when we married when Michael was three. She did, however, raise him from just slightly after his first birthday, and considered my son hers in every way."

"Do you mind if…"

"His mother died during childbirth, and Michael knew it."

"Alright, thank you for your candor. Then getting back to his relationship with Charlotte; do you know if they were sexually active?"

The reverend shook his head. "No. No they weren't, to my knowledge. When they first started dating, Michael told me that one reason she'd had so many boyfriends is that they kept pressuring her to give up her virginity. He said that he'd had a crush on her for so long, that he was going to do everything in his power to keep her, and to make her happy.

And every time I saw them together, it was obvious that they were happy, Agent."

"What were your son's hours like? What did he do during the day?"

"Well, my son was always up before seven, but never left for school until twenty minutes before it started. Most mornings, Charlotte would come over for Morning Prayer, and to spend an hour or so with Michael before they had to leave together.

They were in school from eight until just after three, every day, and then he'd be home well after five; football practice."

"Do you remember anything different in his schedule the day that your son died?"

"I received a call just after class ended for the day. Michael said that he, Charlotte, Melissa, William and Shannon were organizing another protest because of an unjust rule that the school had just passed."

"Did that strike you as odd?" Derek asked the man. The Reverend shook his head. "No, my son was always involved in some kind of community action. He and, especially Charlotte since they started dating, were always trying to bring about change in their own way. The subject of the protest wasn't unusual, they'd organized three since that new Principal introduced it to the school."

"And any signs that their relationship was in trouble?"

"No," the reverend said with a smile, "in fact, when you talk to Jeremiah and Maria, ask them if Charlotte left her engagement ring home that day."

"They were engaged?"

"They were. We asked them to keep it between the families for now, but Michael asked her to marry him on their six-month anniversary and she accepted without hesitation."

He nodded and made a note to call Hotch. It was as he thanked the reverend for speaking with him, that his phone rang and he answered, "_Morgan. Hey Hotch, I was just about to call you too. I'm just finishing up with Reverend Winslow. What do you have for me? Let me get this straight, you're saying that that the Mills girl and the Carson boy were dating? Alright," he said looking at the reverend, who didn't look surprised. Alright, Hotch, I'll ask him when I get there… just so you know, Michael and Charlotte were recently engaged, and she usually never wore her ring out of the house. I will, Hotch, and I'll pass the message along to JJ and the boy wonder_."

After he hung the phone, he turned to the Reverend and said, "Sorry that was my boss giving me an update. He'd just left Shannon Mills' home, and is heading to speak with Charlotte and Melissa's parents now."

"Thank your team for me, Agent Morgan. And please tell Jeffery, when you see him, that I will be by later to speak with him."

He nodded and left, after thanking the man.

**With JJ: 9:50 AM**

JJ eyed the whiteboard that she'd been putting pieces together on. She'd just gotten off the phone with Hotch, when Morgan called and, at the end, asked her to pass a message along to Spence.

Sometimes, she envied the rest of her team. They had no idea how many times that she wished she could go out into the field, if only to get away from the leering looks of local LEO's.

And today was worse, because the one leering at her was the one in charge of the entire unit…

She began placing the information Hotch and Morgan had just given her on the whiteboard, first pictures of all the victims, and how they were connected to each other.

The others kept asking her why they were investigating the victims instead of tracking down the evidence they needed to prosecute Mister Jenkins.

That conversation didn't end well, and she was almost afraid that Captain Straighthand was going to request that they leave. Still, Hotch and Morgan only had one more stop to make a piece, and she was asked to call her boyfriend.

Pulling her phone, she depressed the two, which she'd assigned to his speed dial ages ago, and held the phone too her ear.

She smiled when he answered on the first ring.

"_Hey _Reid," she said, emphasizing his name with a huskiness that she barely realized was there, and knew was inappropriate on cases, "_Morgan asked me to call you. He wanted to let you know that William Carson and Shannon Mills were both dating and that the rumors surrounding his relationship were caused because Melissa Gant wanted to hide her sexual preferences… yes that's what that means… why? Oh that makes sense. Are you sure that this Hillman and she were dating? Really, and you heard this from a teacher… her godmother…_

_Alright, Spence, I'll talk to you when you get back. No," she smiled briefly, "they aren't bothering me too much… I love you too."_

As she hung the phone, a throat clearing from behind her caught her attention.

"Officer Mahoney," she said as she saw the man that had nearly arrested them for B&E the first time they'd met him, "It's good to see you. Thank you for meeting me."

"And you as well, Agent Jareau. I take it this isn't a social call?"

"No, I'm afraid not. I need you to take a couple of units to William Carson's home and back the press off, they're hounding the poor family."

He nodded. "These murders have affected the entire local community. My niece was friends with Charlotte and Michael, each of whom she'd gone to church with for a while. I'll have to clear it with the captain, but it shouldn't be too hard. Still, is there anything I could do to help you?"

She nodded and said, "I need to finish laying out our timeline, but other than that, I'm just waiting for the autopsy results."

He nodded. "The preliminary autopsies just came back for the Gant sisters, they were all murdered between one and three the morning they were discovered."

She nodded and placed the appropriate markers on the board, before she turned and said, "Has anyone checked into Mister Jenkins alibi for the time of death?"

He said, "Someone is doing that now… grudgingly I admit."

"Mahoney," Captain Straighthand said as he entered, "What are you doing in here?"

"Agent Jareau wondered if I could take a couple of units and back off the press hounding the Carson's, Captain," he said with as much respect as he could, considering he'd seen the man eying the FBI agent since she'd arrived.

"Well, I'll take over here, you get to that.."

He looked at her, and she smiled before nodding that she could handle any amorous advances that he sent her way, before the man said, "Then I'll leave you too it, Agent. Captain, Martinez is looking into our suspect's alibi now, we should have probable cause by the time he gets back."

The Captain nodded and smirked as he left.

"Good. Then, once this case is finished, Agent Jareau, I'd love to take you out and show you the sights."

JJ stared at the man in disbelief, trying to form the appropriate response. She couldn't believe the man would be so callous as to totally disregard the slightest possibility that his man suspect would alibi out.

Still, she knew the appropriate response to this situation.

"I'm sorry, Captain, but I'm in a monogamous relationship already, and I love my boyfriend too much to betray him like that. Plus," she said a smirk, "He's a native of Las Vegas."

The Captain felt like he was punched in the gut, but stood and said, "Well, you can't blame a man for trying, Agent Jareau."

_I can_, she thought maliciously to herself, _but I'd probably risk my team being asked to leave._

"It's alright," she said aloud, "You wouldn't believe how often this happens."

The man nodded sagely, and she felt repulsed by his slight smirk.

"I'll have someone come and let you know if we can charge Jenkins as soon as his alibi is checked out."

"Thank you," she said hesitantly, glad when the amorous man left her presence. She'd need a scalding shower after this.

**With Hotch: 10:02AM**

Hotch parked his car, silently steadying himself for the second of two difficult conversations. He sat outside of the Gant's house, which itself was nestled in one of Las Vegas' many suburbs about twenty miles from his previous location. He noticed almost immediately that, where the Mills' home was modest in size, the Gant home made Spencer Reid's home look like a shack.

Approaching the house cautiously, he knocked lightly on the door and was awarded almost immediately with a lithe woman opening the door, tears staining her usually makeup-caked face.

"Mrs. Gant, I'm Aaron Hotchner, we met briefly yesterday at the precinct, but never got a chance to speak. Is now a convenient time, there are some questions I need to ask you about your children?

Maria Gant hesitated only slightly before she opened the door, and said, "I remember Agent Hotchner, please come in. Are the rest of your team here also?"

"No ma'am," he said as she led him into a living room that was larger than the bedroom he slept in last night, and was asked to sit down. A few seconds later, Jeremiah Gant, the girl's father, entered and sat on the opposite end of the couch that his wife had sat on.

"What can we do for you, Agent Hotchner?" he asked as he settled himself in. Hotch, for his part, tried to stop profiling the couple.

"As I explained yesterday, my team was assigned this case on behalf of the Las Vegas Police Department. There are a few questions I need to ask you about your daughters' lives, and I apologize in advance if any of them seem impersonal. Any information you give us will help us find your daughters' killer."

The husband nodded almost immediately.

"Have you noticed anything odd about your daughters in these past few weeks that would cause you to worry about their mental health?"

Immediately, the both of them stood and shouted in anger. He listened for a few seconds, listening to both of their anger-laden voices, until they both sat down in a show of solidarity that he was sure couldn't be faked.

Once they were calmed, he again apologized for causing them any undue pain, and assured them that he wasn't asking to be malicious.

"I'm sorry," Maria said, "As you can understand we're slightly on edge about what's happened."

He nodded.

"What can you tell me about your daughter's daily activity?"

The two looked at each other, and Maria sighed.

"Our girls were always up around seven in the morning. Charlotte left the house soon after she dressed, heading over to Michaels before school. She said it was for Morning Prayer."

He nodded; Morgan had already filled that in for him.

"Melissa would leave just shortly before seven thirty. She claims that she was always at school first because her sister was the one with the social life."

"Do you remember anything different in their schedules the day that they died?"

Maria nodded. "Jeremiah was at work," she said looking at her husband. It was obvious this was the first time she'd talked about this. "The call came at 3:05. Charlotte said that their Principal had approached them about canceling their planned protest concerning his rule that homosexual couples were barred from participating in sports-related events, and that they needed to have a meeting had to have a meeting to get his permission before the protest could go through."

Hotch hesitated for a moment, before he said, "Do you think that Melissa's sexuality had anything to do with Charlotte's sudden need to protest?"

"What do you mean, Agent Hotchner," Jeremiah asked? He looked at them and cursed.

"I mean that the course of our investigation has found that Melissa was a closet homosexual."

"Why are you investigating our daughters?" Maria asked again. He was surprised that she knew, while her husband did not.

"We are investigating your children," he explained hesitantly, "Because oftentimes, especially in cases like this, the differences in their daily lives lead us to their murderer."

"I thought that the LVPD already had the murderer."

He nodded, "all they have at the moment is a suspect. My team cannot afford to not investigate; just in case it turns out that Mister Jenkins is innocent after all."

The parents nodded.

"Do you know whether or not Charlotte wore her engagement ring to school the day they died?"

Maria looked startled but shook her head. "No, I've…" she hesitated before reaching into her shirt and pulled out a necklace. "I couldn't bear to part with it."

Hotch nodded.

"And how were their relationships with their friends?"

"Good, they all got along well most of the time. The last time there was a problem, it was because William and Shannon broke up for a couple of weeks and, rumor had it, she had a girlfriend at the time… do you think it was our daughter?" Maria asked. He looked at Jeremiah, who looked crushed at the thought that his daughter hid that part of her life from him.

"We haven't found any evidence that says otherwise."

They both nodded.

"Thank you both for allowing me to visit. And I am sorry for your loss."

As they led him to the door, the profile in his mind came together.

**With Morgan: 9:47AM**

When Morgan arrived outside of the Carson house, he was angry at what he saw there. Media covered the street outside of the small, singlewide mobile home. He hesitated only slightly in pulling out his phone and calling JJ.

"_JJ, I have a situation outside of William Carson's home; there are a bunch of news vans parked outside… yeah, I can talk to them, but this is usually where you'd handle things. I can't even get to the front door. Can you have the captain send a couple of units to clear this family's property?_"

He listened to his friend's advice on dealing with the media, whom had chosen to came out in front of the only house that didn't have some kind of security, and then thanked her before opening the door and placing his sunglasses on his face. HE was glad that he'd chosen to dress officially today, instead of his usual flare, as he approached the door.

"Make way," Derek commanded, as he approached the door. Someone must have spread word about his arrival, because he didn't have that hard of a time getting to the front door. When he arrived at the front of the door, he turned and said, "Listen folks, I'm going to need you to clear an area."

"Do you have a statement," one of the reporters, who smelled blood, asked? He looked at the man and said, "The FBI does not issue statements of on-going investigations."

He approached the door, and knocked loudly, before he sighed in relief at the sound of approaching sirens.

He knocked on the door, and was immediately met with a gun to his face. He resisted his initial reaction of pulling his gun, and instead flashed his badge. The man, whose hair was high and tight, placed his gun to his side and pulled the door open before he said, "Come in sir."

Derek entered the house hesitantly, before he said, "Please tell me you have a carry permit?"

The man nodded and produced it immediately. Derek sighed; glad he didn't have to arrest the man for protecting his home and property.

"Mister Carson, I'm Derek Morgan with the behavioral analysis unit of the FBI. I was hoping to ask you a few questions about your son."

The man sighed, "I'm sorry Agent Morgan, but my wife and I have been divorced for six years, and the last time I saw William was five months ago. Anna just called me about his death this morning."

He winced. "Then may I please speak with Miss Carson?"

The man, a former Marine by his tattoos, nodded and said, "Let me get her."

She entered the room a few minutes later, and sat immediately beside her former husband. Derek eyed them, and thought about pointing out their arrangements, but knew that it wasn't his place to do so. Instead, he settled down and said, "I need to ask you a few questions about your son, Miss Carson, and some of them are going to seem impersonal, so I'd like to apologize in advance."

She nodded. "Please call me Anne."

"And I'm Isaac," William's father told him. He nodded.

"Have you noticed anything odd about William in these past few weeks that would cause you to worry about his mental health?"

"Yes," the obviously distraught woman answered, "but nothing that was overly alarming. He's been struggling with some type of decision concerning his friends, and worried about his relationship with Shannon."

"Why, from what we've discovered, your son's relationship was very steady?" Derek asked. She smiled and said, "He approached me about a week ago. Shannon's friend Melissa asked her if William could help her out by pretending to be her boyfriend for a week or so. Shannon agreed, he said, and suggested that they stage a 'break-up'. He thought that she wanted to break up with him, and was just using this as an excuse."

Derek nodded, and then asked, "What can you tell me about your son's everyday ritual? What was a typical morning like for him?"

Anne frowned and said, "Will had the first period free everyday, so didn't have to be at school before second period. But, most mornings, he'd leave before sunrise, and meet Shannon at school, since she had to go to squad practices."

"Do you remember anything different happening the day your son died?" Derek asked as delicately as possible.

"It was weird. He was always home right after practice was over, unless Shannon asked him to come over to the house for a couple of hours. This particular day was different, because he called well before his normal time and told them that Principal Henderson wanted to speak with them about their planned protest of some half-baked rule that the rest of the board had already voted down."

Deciding not to ask his next question, "How was his relationship with Shannon?" as he didn't need to, Derek said, "I only have one more question I need answered. Then, I'll get out of your hair. Did Special Agent Lisa Mills ever approach you thinking something was wrong?"

"No," Anne said softly, "I've only met her once that I know of, Agent Morgan."

With that, Derek stood and said, "Please believe me when I say that we're going to do everything we can to find out who did this."

The distraught mother, clinging to the arms of her ex-husband, sobbed.

**With Reid: 9:45AM**

He silently approached the last name on Garcia's list, and took a steady breath as he did so. It had been so long since he'd been in the room he was approaching, but it still felt suffocating. And to believe, ten years later, that this particular teacher would still be working here; alongside those that had tormented and abused him, almost had him in a constant state of disbelief.

And yet, as he approached the doors, he couldn't help but see the similarities between then and now. The door was still decorated in the way it always had been, with slightly up-to-date posters hanging where he remembered older, more worn ones once proudly displayed.

He knocked silently on the door as he waited for the answer he was sure would come.

"Enter," the slight tilt of a long used, world-weary, southern drawl beckoned him in. He pushed the door only slightly, and entered. To his surprise, the woman that sat behind the desk only looked barely aged, showing only a few more of her sixty years than she had at a spry fifty.

"Hello Mrs. Turner," he said softly.

The woman's head moved so quickly, he could almost swear she'd dislocated something when she stood and said, "Spencer Reid."

He smiled and walked over to her large, solid oak desk, a gift she'd been told for attaining tenure some twenty-years before; arms widening in a gesture of welcome. The teacher, the woman that had found him all those years ago strapped to a football goal post, well after midnight, walked into his embrace as gently as she ever had.

"It's good to see you again, Spencer."

He smiled softly and said, "You too, Cynthia."

"So," she said as she invited him to sit. "What can I do for you, Mister Reid? Last I heard, you had no intention of returning to these halls."

He winced and pulled out his badge, something that until now he'd been proud of. What would his teacher, his friend, have to say about him endangering his life like this?

"That explains the things I've been hearing around here this morning. I understand that you went to meet with Alexa before coming this way?"

He nodded. She looked at him, and sighed softly. "That couldn't have been easy for you. I promise that I put up a fuss when she was hired here, Spencer. I couldn't believe that the school would hire her after what she and her friends did, but the principal at the time, Mister Hernandez, whom you remember no doubt, said that everyone deserved a second chance."

"Thank you," he said. She smiled. "Ask your questions, Doctor Reid. Then," she said, "Tell me about the life of a multiple-doctorate FBI agent."

Smiling, Spencer said, "I'd like nothing better, but instead, may I invite you to dine with my girlfriend and I later tonight?"

"I'd like that," the woman said. Then, settling back, she said "What time are you thinking?"

He frowned and said, "I want to go see mom before closing tonight, at least get an hour in before I have to leave her. So, if it's not too late when we get done, I hope to see you around ten?"

The aging teacher smiled, "Alright, boy-genius, that sounds good. Now, tell me what's on that mind of yours."

A soft grin covered his face and he settled back.

**Later:**

The team had quickly gathered, well after noon. It was a long morning, and looked to be even longer. The exhaustion and physical limitations of having a four-person team; which would normally be a team of six or seven, had exhausted them.

Hotch stood at the front of the room, and said, "Everyone has their impressions of the events that have led to their deaths. So, I need to know if your profile is so obviously different from mine. Garcia, before we begin, what have you found out?"

Garcia, who had been looking at the team from the computer screen in front of them said, "I've finished all the background checks, _mon__capitan_. Reid, I know, talked to all those I cleared this morning; most of them had air-tight alibis for the time of death, and the one that did not alibi out the first time, I ran a second time. Only one person met those criteria, Alexa Lisbon. But," she said, "then, I found a charge on her husband's credit card. So, I tracked down the vendor, and found out that Miss Lisbon was at her best friend's wedding and only got back yesterday afternoon."

"And what about Mister Jenkins," he asked curious as to what she found.

"Well," she said softly, "That's a serious case of injustice, if I've ever seen one. Twelve years ago, he was accused and convicted of assault and battery against his wife of six months. So, knowing me as you do, it'll come to surprise to you that I dug deeper to see how low this scum bag was."

The team waited.

"It turns out that his wife of six months, Michelle Rodriguez, was hurt in a hit and run about five days before she fell into her coma. But, since the accident happened over state lines, and the doctors medically cleared her, everyone just assumed that he beat her then took her to the hospital as a sign of remorse. But, I had a medical professional look at her two charts. Doctor Bonneville," she said looking at JJ who smiled slightly "has all but stated that the injuries that caused her to slip into her coma were caused by the brain injury she sustained a few days earlier."

Hotch nodded and said, "I'll take care of it, what about his alibi?"

JJ spoke up, "They've confirmed his alibi, so he's being processed out as we speak, Hotch."

"Good," the chief said, "And what about the other teachers at the school?"

"Okay three have serious misdemeanors on their records. Five of the others have had misdemeanor convictions for drug use in their youth, but nothing since then, and then there are about twenty more names for misdemeanor disturbing the public.

"Alright Garcia, good job, we know that the UNSUB is male," he said. Garcia eliminated half of the current numbers.

"He's between the ages of thirty-one and fifty," Spencer said.

"And he'll have had charges in his past that were either dropped or investigated but not pursued by the police.

"Five names," she said conversationally.

"They'll have had convictions in the past three months," Hotch said, "This behavior didn't come out of nowhere."

"We have one name people. The Principal, Harold Henderson.

"We have our UNSUB," Hotch said.

"Yeah," Morgan said, "But nothing tying him to the murders."

"Actually," Hotch said, "We might. Garcia, does Mister Henderson have anything on his record regarding segregation, specifically in regards to homosexuals?"

Garcia looked through her files. "Two years ago, he was working as the superintendant of schools in Los Angeles County, until a girl and her girlfriend of three years were expelled without cause a week before their graduation. The order came from his office. The school board convened and had him impeached, but the damage to the school system was already done. So, naturally he was fired.

When Miguel Hernandez, the former principal of the school, retired last year after fifteen years, Mister Henderson was one of the earliest applicants to the position."

"Still, Hotch," Reid said, "Even with all that, we have nothing connecting them together then the fact that he was the last person to see them alive. All the evidence we have at this moment is circumstantial at best."

"That's what the police are for, Reid. We give them the same profile. They retrieve warrants for all the teachers that we've just eliminated, and the evidence will show up."

Reid nodded, and said, "Sounds like a plan."

**Las Vegas Police Department, Interrogation Room: 7:45PM**

Harold Henderson sat smug in the small, almost sterile room that he was dragged into less than an hour ago. His hands were still cuffed, but he was confident in his acquittal… then he'd make sure to sue the FBI for harassment.

His lawyer sat to his left, giving him last minute advice, when the door opened and a lithe, lanky male with a sweater vest entered the room followed by a large, well-built black male.

"Hello Mister Henderson, I'm Supervisory Special Agent Doctor Spencer Reid, and this is my _partner_, SSA Derek Morgan."

Harold's eyes narrowed and his teeth grinded together as he saw the male look over at his partner. The other male stood, moving behind lanky male and placing his hand on the back of his partner's chair. "We'd like to ask you a few questions about the murders at your school."

With that, a yellow envelope was pushed onto the table, and the contents opened up. The man's eyes widened as he saw the small, black gun.

"Ballistics has matched this gun to the murders of Charlotte and Melissa Gant, William Carson, Michael Winslow and Shannon Mills. It was also found in a hidden compartment at your office desk. Now, my partner Agent Morgan believes that you killed those kids, but I have a different theory in mind."

The Principal's eyes shifted to the younger man, and all of the sudden, a picture that he'd seen many times in the past year came to his mind, a teenager standing before the graduating class of 1995, the valedictorian of his class, standing in a cap and gown that was purposefully ordered too large for him.

"It's you," the man said snidely. "Come back to ruin the good name that your school has earned in the years you've been gone no doubt. And now, to rub salt in the wound, you've brought your boyfriend along to see you torment the principal of the place that almost crushed you!"

Spencer looked at the man, his eyes portraying a pity as he glanced at the distraught man.

"I assure you, Mister Henderson, the past actions of that school have nothing to do with this case. All that matters is finding your students killer."

"I'm telling you, kid, this bastard did it."

"I'm sorry, Derek, but the evidence just doesn't support that."

The Principal looked at the smug man, and sat back confident.

"Agent Reid, what exactly is my client being accused of?"

"Nothing," Spencer said, "At this moment, I'm just asking, one professional to another, for a deposition from the principal about what happened after school that day. He was the last person that saw any of the victim's alive."

The lawyer turned to his client and, after a quiet conversation, said, "Against my advice, my client has agreed to answer any questions you have."

Derek looked at the younger male, and said, "I'm telling you kid, this is a mistake. Arrest thi…" but was cut off by Spencer touching him on the shoulder, and saying, "Derek, not now."

Derek stood from his chair, and stormed out of the room, his shoulders trembling.

"Mister Henderson," he looked back at the man, who was almost apoplectic with rage, "I apologize for my partner's behavior. Can we please continue?"

The principal regained control of himself a few seconds later, and said, "Ask away, Doctor Reid."

Spencer leaned forward, and said, "Can you explain, first of all, what exactly happened at your meeting with the victims, and what time you and they parted company."

Harold leaned back, putting as much distance between the agent and himself as possible, and said, "They asked for a meeting in regards to my, albeit controversial, rule about openly gay and lesbian students on our sports-related teams."

"Why?"

"Because miss goody-too-shoes Melissa Gant was a lesbian, and thought that the rule was unfair. It's a horrible epidemic, you know…"

"People aren't so narrowly defined, Mister Henderson," the Special Agent said to the man. Derek and I have known each other for five years, and have a wonderful relationship."

"That's your business, at least keep it at home!"

"What happened afterwards, did you see where they went, and did anyone pick them up."

The Principal glanced at the weapon before him. "No, I just remembered seeing a large, green Toyota waiting at the corner they were picked up at."

"Are you sure?" Spencer asked, "I ask because we looked at the security footage outside of the school, and the only Toyota that was anywhere near the school all day was a red one."

"That's the one I meant then," the Principal said as the door opened again, and a blond woman sat beside the gangly male.

"Reid," she said, batting her lashes at the man, who too Harold's disgust, didn't seem to notice. His face was near pale in rage as he stood and said, "What kind of sick freak would rather have a gay partner than someone they can copulate with!"

Spencer turned to the man. "What are you talking about, Agent Jareau and I are merely coworkers?"

He turned and saw the hurt on the woman's face, and he yelled. "You're just as stupid as that bitch, Melissa, aren't you? For a supposed genius, how can you not see what is right in front of you!"

"What does Miss Gant have to do with anything?"

"She was raging at me that the rule was unfair, and that she was going to go to the police with evidence that I've done this before. Profiling, she called it, sexual profiling. Her sister, who probably led her to that path, was beside her the entire time. She actually laughed when I said that no one would believe her. She said they were recording everything, the stupid bitch!

Then that boyfriend… Michael said that they'd stop everything if I changed the rule. I told them no, and they dared laugh and say I really had no choice."

"Harold," his lawyer said trying to gain his attention.

"But no, the stupid bastard actually dared to tell me that I was unjust. I was just trying to cleanse the school of the filth that had invaded it! It's not my fault they didn't understand that."

Spencer turned, "is that when you killed them?"

"Oh no, I made them suffer first. I made her watch her sister's boyfriend take her virginity. Teach her the lessons her family never did, you understand? But instead, instead of being grateful the bitch spat in my face. My face! So I killed her sister when the boyfriend finished, and did the same with him. Then, I turned to the others…" suddenly the man's face paled as he realized what he'd said. "This isn't admissible, you goaded me!"

"Actually," Spencer said, "You waived your rights as soon as you said we could talk. Everything that you've said is perfectly admissible. Mister Harold Henderson, I'm placing you under arrest for the murders of Charlotte Gant, Melissa Gant, Michael Winslow, Shannon Mills and William Carson. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney, if you cannot afford one, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand these rights as I have given them to you?"

The principal nodded, defeated.

With that, Spencer stood and with a soft touch on the woman's arm, he said, "Let's get out of here."

"_It's impossible to live without ideals. However, when ideas lead to ideology, that's a very dangerous thing. Ideology then leads to creating the image of an enemy, and it leads to the murder and massacre that we've seen since the beginning of time – Michael Haneke_."


	17. Chapter Sixteen: Revelations

_AN: There is a link in my profile to the unedited version of this chapter. This chapter complies with 's TOS._

_CHAPTER SIXTEEN: Revelations_

"_Revelation can be more perilous than revolution – Vladimir Nabokov"_

**Outside: 8:00PM**

"Pretty Boy," Derek said as he approached the couple, who were standing on the corner across from the police station. After the interrogation, Spencer had asked his girlfriend if she'd come with him to meet someone important to him. She nodded without hesitation.

They were barely away from the station, when Derek had called for their attention. Spencer turned to the man, who was jogging up to him at a rapid pace, and said, "That was awesome, Pretty Boy."

"Hey Derek," he said, a slight smile on his face.

"How did you know that would work?" Derek said to the younger genius.

He shrugged and said, "It was classic narcissism, Derek. The man was so sure of his position that nothing else could be even close to correct."

The man said, "So, where are you two love-birds off to?"

Spencer looked at the man and said, "I want to give JJ a native's view of Sin City, Derek. Can you tell Hotch that we'll be back tomorrow at the latest?"

"Yeah man. That's why I was catching up to you. We're going to hit the strip now that we're finished here. Do you want to meet up with us?"

He looked at JJ, who was leaning into him, and said, "If we have time, we'll meet you there."

Derek looked at them, a grin covering his face.

As they approached the standard issue SUV, Spence turned to the woman and said, "JJ, I need to ask you a really big favor."

She looked at him, concern on her face, as she said, "What's wrong, Spence?"

"Will you come with me, again?"

She gasped, and reached her hand forward, clasping him. "Are you sure, Spence? I… I don't want to see you hurt, again."

He smiled and said, "I am… it's only for an hour this late at night, but I hope that, if she's having a good day, that I can talk to her for a little bit. A-and afterwards, I sort of promised one of my old teachers that I'd introduce her to my girlfriend."

She smiled and said, "Alright, Spence."

The drive to Bennington Sanitarium was fraught with emotion, and JJ couldn't help but be reminded of the last time they made this particular trip. She looked over at her boyfriend, whose shoulders were tense in anticipation. She sighed as they approached the familiar hospital. Upon entering the parking lot, she gradually stepped out of their SUV, and placed her gun inside the built-in safe. Watching her boyfriend do the same, she sighed and walked over, grasped his hand and said, "It's going to be okay, honey."

He nodded, hesitantly at first, before squaring his shoulders.

They approached the familiar looking door, and she watched him enter his five-digit access code.

"Spencer Reid," said the same familiar voice through the intercom. Suddenly, a sense of déjà vu filled her, and she wondered if Spence was going to have his heart broken again.

"Yes, plus one." He paused and said, "We're hoping to see my mother, Diana Reid?"

"Your mother is having a good day, Doctor Reid. Please sign in at admitting, and you'll be shown back."

The door opened as usual, they stepped inside. JJ watched him go up to the admitting desk, and delicately sign his name, before turning and urging her to do the same. She wondered why, but gasped when she saw that it was a slip that gave her permission to visit without him present. She thought, for a second, to refuse; but the look of anticipation on her young genius' face was enough to make her decision.

She signed quickly, turning to the man to her left, "Hello Doctor Thompson."

"Agent Jareau, it's nice to see you again. And you as well, Spencer, would you like me to accompany you?"

Spence nodded his head, and as the Doctor took the lead, she heard him ask, "How has she been since we were last here?"

"Her episode lasted another three days after you last visited. Come to find out, Doctor Hanson changed her medicine again."

Spencer cursed the man that was continually messing with his patients' well-being at the slightest change in their personalities.

"We got her straightened back around, and she's been good for almost three weeks now. Your letters have helped immensely. And Agent Jareau, she was most gratified that you and her son have had such a progressive relationship."

JJ blushed to the roots of her hair as she realized what the man was implying, sending a small glare to her boyfriend, who she was shocked to note had a similar blush attached to his face.

"Why did you write about that?" she hissed when Doctor Thompson entered Diana's room. Spence looked down and said, "I've always told mom everything… it doesn't excuse my actions, but I promise that I just didn't think."

JJ sighed, and said, "Spence, we've really got to work on your social skills."

He nodded, and grasped her hand. She knew that he could tell she was tense, and slightly angry.

"I'm sorry, JJ."

"I know you are, sweetie," she said softly, laying her head on his shoulder as the door opened. Upon entering, Spence walked to past the many other patients that were having conversations with visiting family, and over to the lone woman sitting beside the window, a stack of letters and an open Margery Kempe book in her lap.

He softly settled on a chair beside her, and felt JJ slide into the chair beside him, as the woman looked back down at the letters.

"Hello mom," Spencer said softly. Diana turned, and her eyes widened, smile alighting her face.

"Spencer! It's lovely to see you, dear. I didn't know you were in town, is it vacation time already?"

He shook his head, "No mom, my job brought us out this way, so I wanted to see you before I had to go back home tomorrow."

Diana frowned, but turned, "And dear Jennifer! It's absolutely lovely to see you too, dear."

"Hello Mrs. Reid," JJ said softly, "I hope you don't mind my intruding on your time with Spence."

"No, dear, think nothing of it. Spencer has told me that you two have officially begun courting. I hope your intentions are honorable, dear," she said looking at her son. She turned to Spence, who was blushing to his roots, and jerkily nodding his head.

"They are mom, I love JJ."

Diana smiled, and said, "That's good then. So, tell me what all has been going on. How is my son treating you, Jennifer?"

She smiled, "We haven't had too many problems, ma'am."

"Call me Diana, dear."

"Diana," JJ softly corrected, "Your son is the perfect gentlemen, most of the time. Doctor Thompson did, however, inform us that he wrote to you of our personal life, so I'll have to speak to him about that."

"Spencer William," Diana said, "I know I taught you better than that!"

He nodded, "Yes mom, I was just so joyously euphoric that JJ would deign to gift me in that way, that I did not properly engage my brain."

Diana laughed, and JJ was surprised to realize how much she enjoyed the sound of the other woman's laughter.

For what seemed like hours, but was just slightly short of one, JJ listened to her young genius' mother regale her with tales of her boyfriend's childhood. And, as engrossed as she often found herself in listening to her boyfriend's words, his mother made sense of all her lover's quirks.

"Spencer," Diana said as she noticed him watching the two of them, and smiled softly as he leaned forward.

"Yes mom," he said softly.

"Doctor Thompson told me what happened last time you visited."

He winced and said, "Mom…"

"Don't, Spencer, I need you to listen to me!" she said roughly. "I want you to know something, Spencer William Reid," she said softly again. "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. And, I know that you've done everything you can to make me comfortable, and yes, I know when I'm… off my meds that I say things that are hurtful, but I love you Spencer. I love you so much, that sometimes I can't help but read everyone your stories."

JJ glanced at her boyfriend, as the door opened and Doctor Thompson entered carrying her tray of medicine.

"Spencer," Diana said, "I love you, and I am so proud of you. I know that I don't always say it, but I think you need to know that."

She could feel him trembling from beside her, and softly pressed her lips to his temple.

"I love you too, mom," he whispered, so softly. Then, before JJ had the slightest chance to stop him, her boyfriend stood and walked forward. "Can I…?"

Diana stood carefully, eying her son for any sign of hesitation, before slowly she opened her arms. She watched as her boyfriend embraced his mother, for what she could tell was probably the first time in years. The depth of the emotion between them was almost debilitating in its ferocity.

"That is the first I've ever seen her accept a hug from her son," Doctor Thompson said confirming her earlier thoughts. "I almost wish that I didn't have to break it up."

JJ turned to him, and said, "Just give them a few more minutes, and we'll leave."

He eyed her for a few moments, and she could tell that he was deciding whether or not to agree, before he eyed mother and son, and nodded in agreement. "They need this."

After a few more minutes, the embrace ended, and Spencer stood back from his mom, and said, "We have to go now, mom… but I wanted to deliver this one personally. I wish I could come by and see you tomorrow, but we'll be heading back to Quantico in the morning."

Diana eyed the bundle in her hand and smiled as her son turned to Doctor Thompson, and said, "Well see our selves out, Doctor."

"Doctor Reid," the man said suddenly, "It was good to see you again."

He nodded, and absently turned the knob, before he walked out of the room.

JJ was so used to him having a tight rein on his emotions that it was almost difficult to walk away from the room. She could feel that he wasn't going to last long, so hoped and prayed that he'd make it too the SUV, before he broke down.

Her prayers weren't answered. As soon as the secured entrance opened, and the fresh night air hit her boyfriend's senses, he collapsed; tears falling down his face. She watched as others exited the secure building, but ignored them in favor to kneel beside him, and pull Spence into the crook of her neck.

"This was a good visit," JJ said softly. "Even I can see that, Spence."

He shook and shook, and sobbed and sobbed. And, as she helped him pick himself up, and led him back to the SUV that was loaned out for their personal use until they went back to Virginia, she couldn't help but feel that some of that horrible weight was finally off of his shoulders.

"Do you want me to drive again?" she asked. Spence shook his head, "No, I'll be alright. I…" he trailed off, "I'm happy JJ."

She smiled and said, "Good, if you were angry after that, I'd have to shoot you."

Her boyfriend laughed and said, "I think they'd take your gun in that case."

JJ nodded, knowing that he was probably right.

"So, what else have you got planned for tonight. I'd really like to hit a casino, and see you clean it out."

Spencer blushed and said, "Well, I told you that I met one of my old teachers earlier, and she invited me over for dinner? I told her yes, on the understanding that I would want to introduce her to my girlfriend."

"That sounds fun," JJ admitted before she said, "Lead on, honey."

He smiled and peeled out of the parking lot, joyousness in his exhilaration.

Less than ten minutes passed before they were pulling up outside of a large, wrought-iron gate that led to a small, but extremely well cared-for lawn. The house wasn't the smallest on the street, but it was extremely close.

Standing at only one story, it was not the house of a rich and powerful part-time tenant, but the house of someone that had been a member of the community for more years than she care to count.

Two magnolia trees stood out in contrast to the yellow, almost tan paint that covered the house. Softly, she removed her seat belt, and stepped as graciously as possible out of the door. Looking at her boyfriend, she noticed that he had a slight grip on the steering wheel, as if the thought of being inside this house terrified him.

"Spence?" she said. He smiled hesitantly, and she was about to change her mind and ask that they head on to the casino, when the sound of a front door opening and closing drew her attention.

JJ turned, and noticed a lithe, older woman standing there with a white apron wrapped around her at mid-waist. Her hair was up in a net, and she had white nylon gloves adorning her hands.

"Are you coming in, Spencer Reid, or do I need to send bambina out to meet you?"

Her boyfriend took a deep breath, and opened his door cautiously. JJ wondered, if the thought of meeting him scared her so much, after all these years, why he bothered coming by here.

"Hello Cynthia," he said softly, "Thank you for inviting me. I'd like to introduce my girlfriend, Jennifer Jareau. JJ," he said turning to her, "Cynthia Turner."

"Hello ma'am," JJ said grasping the woman's arm softly as she'd seen her boyfriend do. The woman smiled, and said, "Hello Jennifer. Welcome to my home. Please, come in and make yourselves at home."

She nodded, and in a show of unity that surprised JJ immensely, she and Spencer entered the home with nary a look of apprehension.

The inside of the house wasn't what she expected. Instead of the white or yellow paint she expected to adorn the walls, a soft rose red was the pre-eminent color. The furniture, frayed from decades of use, was well taken care of, otherwise. And, she could tell, the mattresses had only recently been flipped over to air out.

"You have a beautiful home, Mrs. Turner," JJ said softly. The woman turned and said, "That's nice of you to say, Miss Jareau. I only wish I'd had more time to clean up, it's harder to housekeep now that I'm getting older, but working the same hours. I can't get around like I used too."

JJ nodded, knowing the trouble she had keeping her own house clean during the hours, or days, she had off from work.

"So," the woman said softly sitting, "I'm making lasagna, it should be done in about an hour. So," the woman said, "Jennifer, tell me about yourself, and what makes you think you're good enough for my boy here."

She looked at Spence, who was staring at his former teacher in horror, but was glad that he had someone looking at him, like her own father had looked out for her on so many occasions.

Cynthia Turner was, if nothing else, a no-nonsense, blunt, woman.

Sitting slightly closer to her boyfriend, JJ sighed and said, "I ask myself that everyday."

Spence turned to her, to admonish her for her negativity, but she merely smiled and placed her finger to his lips, and said, "Its fine, Spence. I'm glad to answer any question she has."

While she and he had their moment, neither noticed the woman observing them. Cynthia smiled, sighing softly.

"I work with Spencer at the FBI," JJ said after a few minutes of silent contemplation, as she looked down at the well looked-after coffee table.

With that, she went on to tell the woman all of the things they'd only ever spoke of once before, all the stories that were too hard to speak of.

By the time JJ was done, the woman was sitting beside her young genius, lightly dabbing at her eyes. "I'm glad to see that Spencer has someone so wonderful looking out for him.

"JJ has been my rock," Spencer finally spoke up after she was finished, "Even before we started dating. When she first joined our team, I was an insecure child in a man's body. Everyone knew it, and almost immediately, started treating me as such. And," here her boyfriend was glancing at her shamed, "Often took their time ostracizing new members to our team in order to make me feel accepted."

Unbidden, JJ remembered his words to her dad just after those awful events in Boston, '_Before I met JJ, I was awkward at best. I never integrated with the team…_"

And for the first time, she realized what he meant. She looked at her young genius, and couldn't help but see the anguish in his features. Too her shock, before she could think to hold him, the older woman reached forward, and wrapped her hand around his, and softly she whispered, "I'm happy for you, Spencer. You deserve it after everything that's happened."

And, not for the first time, she wondered what her boyfriend had gone through to make him the awkward, contradictory, but essentially wonderful guy he was.

Dinner was a wonderful affair, she would well and truly admit later. The lasagna was cooked to perfection, and the condiments chosen to accompany it enhanced, not drowned, the flavor.

It was difficult to watch Spencer say goodbye to the other woman, who had so easily showed she cared for her boyfriend, if not as a son as a favored nephew. And it showed, in the way he never hesitated, that he cared for her as a cherished aunt.

But, as they climbed in the SUV, JJ noticed a firm resolve settle over her young genius. And, she knew, that regardless of her expectations, her questions of his young life were going to be answered.

There was a serenity about her boyfriend, a calm that she knew came from his decision to open up about the part of his life that kept him from fully opening up to her. It was frightening, knowing that the knowledge of his life scared him so much that he was afraid to open up.

Sure, there were still things she kept from him, nightmares she'd long since buried, but she had the feeling… no… the almost absoluteness of knowing, that what he was going to reveal was going to almost make her secrets pale in comparison.

To her surprise, he didn't go immediately to his home, which is what she expected. Instead, he pulled into downtown Las Vegas, and pulled onto the strip. She kept glancing at him, making sure that he was alright, but noticed that his hands were gripped to the steering wheel as if it were a lifeline.

A sudden panic filled her, terror gripping at her, as thoughts raced in her head over the impending explosion she felt coming from him.

_What has you so terrified, Spence? _

They parked outside of a large, brightened casino. The parking lot was lit completely, with lights ever few meters apart, and was jam-packed so tightly together that she was almost afraid too move incorrectly, afraid of scratching one of the higher-end vehicles surrounding them.

A gulf seemed to separate them from the casino itself, and as she turned to meet him at the front of the SUV, she was surprised to see him bending over. Confusion washed over her, until he came out with both of their sidearm's in his grip, and their badges clipped safely to his pocket. She wondered, briefly, why he was bringing them.

"Better safe than sorry," he told her hesitantly, before holding out her badge and standard issue, before placing his in its holster, and slipping his badge into his lapel.

_Surely_, she thought, _no one would be stupid enough to steal a federal agent's vehicle?_

But the certainty of his actions made JJ stop to consider.

She gripped his hand softly as they started making their way too the casino proper, and for the first time a sense of giddy anticipation came over her.

They entered the casino with no problem, even with the metal detectors going off didn't bother them. Mostly, JJ knew, because the guard at the door had seen their badges and had turned off the alarm before it could sound.

That, she knew, she'd have to bring to his boss' attention.

Spencer turned to her, his eyes gazing into hers, a soft smile now covering his face.

"What is it Spence?"

"Tonight," he said softly, "I want to introduce you to my world. I want you to see what my life is usually like when I'm here, and I don't want you to worry about the cost. Anything," he said, "Everything you want tonight is on me, Jennifer."

A frown covered her face for the barest of moments, before another barely mentioned moment crossed her memory.

"_How much do you spend on books," her mom asked, "And more importantly," her dad asked, "How can you afford it? We know that Jenny makes a good salary, but she can't spend a couple thousand dollars a week on a whim."_

His fidgeting at the time had made her interrupt her parent's almost subtle interrogation, not wanting Spencer to feel even more out of sorts than he already was at the time.

"Spence, you don't have to tell me how… but I need to know you're able to afford that?"

He nodded, his shoulders firm, as he looked deep into her eyes. She wondered briefly, how much his multiple degrees helped him on the federal government's pay scale, and why, if he made so much, he chose to enter the BAU in the first place.

"Alright," she whispered softly into his ear, "then wow me, lover."

He kissed her forehead, his lips curving into a smile. Her hand moved to his shoulder, and she pressed her ear to his chest for the slightest of moments, before he tightly grasped her hand.

Walking confidently towards a teller, Spencer pulled out one of his oft unused credit cards, and pressed it towards the woman, who looked at him cautiously.

"Ten thousand in chips," her boyfriend said authoritatively. The teller's eyes widened and she swiped his card, before pulling out a tray and cautiously counting out the exact number of chips that her boyfriend had just ordered. He smiled and said, "And starts a tab, and keep it open for my girlfriend and anyone I send over."

The teller looked at her, and JJ could feel the woman's gaze settling over her for just a moment, as if studying her. Then, she turned her gaze away and said, "Will that be all, Mister Reid?"

She waited for her boyfriend to correct the woman, but to her surprise, he didn't. Instead, he grabbed the small tray that was pushed towards them, and placed it under his arm. "Do you want to order a drink before we head in?"

She shook her head. "No," she said softly, "I want there to be absolutely no doubt whom I'm going home with tonight, and a lot of idiots hit on drunken women, whether or not they're with dates."

He smiled softly. "JJ, they're not blind. You," he whispered into her hair, "are absolutely ravishing. If you want though," he smiled, "I can profile anyone that does come up and hit on you."

She swatted his arm, "I'll get something when I'm thirsty."

Smiling, Spence sat down at the nearest blackjack table, and separated the pile into two, before asking her to take over the one next to him. She sat, cautiously wondering why he wanted her to do so.

"Spence," she whispered to him, "This is five thousand dollars."

"I know," he said to her softly, "But I want you to have fun tonight too, and trust me, watching me clean out a casino isn't as fun as you might think."

She nodded, and settled in. If her date were anyone else, she'd worry about having to pay them back.

As the first rounds began, she watched her boyfriend eye the table, listening to every hit and stay going on around them. Then, without missing a beat, he entered the game with a flurry that she'd never before seen. Within an hour, he'd already doubled his initial offering, while her pile kept dwindling. To make matters worse, every time she thought about leaving, he'd hand her half of his newly grown pile, and slip her a sly grin.

Around them, people seemed to be getting into the game, watching the man and woman combo around them killing the bank. So much so, that when a third and then fourth person sat beside them, and the game became that much more involved, the crowd began placing side bets on whether or not the quartet at the table would break the bank, or be asked to leave.

It was an hour later, the first man up a grand total of twenty-five thousand dollars that he stood and said, "I'm going to take my chips to another table, alright JJ?"

She looked at him, and nodded, before she too cashed out, five hundred dollars shorter than when she first came in. In reality, JJ knew, she'd lost well in excess of the five thousand her boyfriend had first given her, but she'd had fun while doing so, and from the look on Spencer's face, she knew that's exactly what she wanted.

"Are we doing the same thing at the next table?" she asked, as the two that had joined them, a couple of Mexican men, stood and started walking with them.

He smiled softly at her and said, "It's not that type of table, JJ."

She smiled briefly, wondering what he was talking about, before slipping her arm into his, and kissing him slightly on the cheek.

She didn't need to see his chips to know exactly how much she'd lost her boyfriend tonight. The wince alone made her shudder.

The next table they went too wasn't, as she expected, a blackjack table, but poker. And the buy-in was very steep; thirty-thousand dollars, to be precise. She looked at Spence, and watched as he eyed the tables around him, before he sat himself in an empty stool in front of him.

To her surprise, at the only other table he'd even hesitated with, Derek Morgan was intensely staring at a younger man that held two cards in his hand while staring at the board in front of him. Derek, she noticed blithely, had a flush diamonds, Ace high. But the man was smirking. She winced, wondering if Derek was profiling the man.

When the man negligently placed five thousand dollar chips on the table in front of him, she looked at Derek's far smaller pile, and mentally calculated the amount he had left. He had more than enough to cover the man's initial bid, but wouldn't have much to spread around if he lost.

To her shock, Derek raised the man, adding another two thousand to the growing pile.

"Derek caught the other guy's bluff," Spencer told her softly from beside her. She looked at him, her eyes asking him for an explanation.

"He hesitated before placing his bid on the table. Now," Spencer said, "Derek is going to milk him for all he's worth, because whether or not the guy wants to admit it, if Derek found his tell, then it wouldn't be hard for others to find it. He doesn't realize that our job is to see and exploit them."

It wasn't a surprise, then, that Derek ended up winning that hand, before the man stood up and walked away with his few remaining chips.

By the time she returned her attention to her own boyfriend, she noticed that he'd actually lost about five thousand dollars. Soon, the bets started getting larger, and more fierce than before, and she wondered if having her with him was causing her boyfriend too lose his concentration.

That was when she noticed it. On the table, a Jack, Queen and King of Spades were sitting prominently beside a six of hearts and an unturned card. The others at the table were smirking at her boyfriend, and she knew at least one of them had a full house, while the others probably were able to pair of one or the other.

Looking at his hand, she saw Spence sitting with the Ten and Ace of Spades, and watched as his hand quivered as he placed his matching bet on the table. The others pounced.

Soon, the bets were flying in, and within moments, a hundred and fifty-thousand dollars was sitting on the table. Her boyfriend was sitting there, eying his last five thousand, the amount he needed to call the bet, and he placed it on the table slowly.

"No more bets," the dealer said authoritatively, as she felt a hand on her shoulder.

She jerked, and turned, ready to pull her gun, when she noticed the arm. It was very familiar.

"Derek," she said softly, "Don't do that."

"Hey JJ," he whispered in response to her slight rebuke, "Has Pretty Boy started yet?"

"No," she said equally low, "But he's about too."

Proudly, around them, the men started placing their cards on the table, and she was right one did have a full house, Kings over Queens. Then, she saw it. A shift from the nervous child that he was acting, to the confident FBI Special Agent she knew him as, as he laid his cards down and said, "Royal Flush."

The groans around her were like music to JJ's ears, and she saw the dealer reluctantly push the cards to her boyfriend, as he glanced at a man at the end of the table, who'd held the previously winning full house. Derek sat at a newly unoccupied seat, where one of the men smartly evacuated only moments before, and placed his chips on the table in front of him.

She groaned as Spence turned, and a slight jerk when through him, as he said, "Hey Morgan."

"Reid," their partner and friend said, "I'm going to win my money back now, you realize?"

"Mind if I get in on this," another familiar voice from behind them drew her attention. She turned, and immediately groaned.

"This is not going to end well," she muttered underneath her breath.

"Hotch," Derek said, "I lost you about an hour ago, where'd you go?"

Hotch smiled and said, "I got caught up playing the slots, when people started whispering about a nervous man-child that just cleaned out an entire table with his blond girlfriend sitting beside him. I took a chance," he shrugged. "Reid."

He blushed.

And then, their partners actually caught sight of his pile. Derek let out a slow whistle, while Hotch leaned down and said, "How much did he start out with?"

She grinned in hesitation, wondering how she should answer, when the table filled again, this time with newer, more intimidating looking players.

Their chips nearly rivaled her boyfriends.

Derek and Hotch sat on either side of him, their own slightly large piles paling in comparison to the others. As a waitress walked over, she looked at her friends, and smiled slightly.

"He," she said pointing at Derek, "wants beer."

"He," she said pointing at Hotch, "wants bourbon."

"He," she said pointing at Spencer, "wants rum and coke."

"And she," her boyfriend said smoothly, "wants whisky."

She turned to her boyfriend and the smile on his face. Hotch and Morgan was eying her, and she blushed before she said, "I have to try and even the odds for the others, you know?"

They laughed, but one of the others must have heard her, because the next thing she knew, he was ordering vodka martinis, and glaring at them. She groaned, and sighed, sitting back in her seat. When the drinks arrived, she handed the waitress one of the chips she had left over. The woman placed it in a pack at her side, before JJ handed her a similar chip and said, "Keep them coming."

The woman nodded.

Within a matter of minutes, the betting was fiercely competitive and she could see her boyfriend eying the table with nary a problem as Hotch and Morgan did the same. All three piles had grown respectively large, and by mutual agreement, none of them started betting against the others. She wondered why, when she noticed that, of the six players at the table, Hotch took the first man, who'd ordered the vodka martinis and was slightly inebriated now. Morgan took the second, more intimidating man, who was glaring at them, his hand gripping his side where a gun would normally be placed. And Spencer took the last, and had eventually bankrupted him, and was sitting back, not getting involved in the betting much, only too buy in and fold most hands.

Once the others were bankrupted, the dealer turned to them and raised the big blinds to five hundred dollars a pot, and again they had a crowd around them. The waitress came over with their fifth tray of drinks a second later, and placed them on the table in front of them.

Who knew that Spencer Reid could hold his liquor?

By the end of the night, Spence had nearly wiped out Morgan, and Hotch had withdrawn early knowing when it was better to give in than face the inevitable. She eyed her boyfriend's pile, just under a million chips, and wondered what he was going to do. To her surprise, he took a large pile and handed it to the dealer, whose eyes widened when Spence said, "the bank's cut." It was easily about ten percent of what he'd won.

He seemed to understand, and hesitantly placed it in the drawer. Then, Spence turned to Morgan, and handed the man back his initial thirty-thousand dollar buy-in, and handed Hotch enough to draw even for the night, and said, "This was fun, everyone, but I best be going.

Then, he picked up his tray and with slightly broken steps, he grinned and walked up to the teller they'd seen only five hours before.

He handed her the chips, and she reluctantly cashed him out. It was as they neared the door that a man walked over to them.

"I don't know how you cheated," the man hissed at them, "But you're going to pay me back what's mine, boy, or I'm going to kill you."

JJ almost reached for her gun, out of fear for her boyfriend's life more than necessity, when Hotch and Morgan arrived and stood behind them.

"It seems like no one is happy about you cleaning us out," the man grinned, until he noticed that all of them had taken defensive stands behind her boyfriend, who was merely looking at him. No fear, no expectation of violence.

"Your tell," Spence said a few seconds later, "Was pathetically easy to find."

Hotch and Morgan merely nodded.

"Whenever you'd have a losing hand, you'd look at your watch, and then pat your left pocket." Hotch said amusedly, watching the others around them as they took note of the man's face.

"And," Morgan said, "If you had a winning hand, which wasn't to often, you'd look at your watch, then pat your right pocket."

The man's teeth grit together, and she could see him reaching for his back pocket. To her surprise, Derek didn't hesitate and before he knew it, Derek had the man on the ground, his arms locked behind his back, as he said, "And, you really don't want to pull your gun on armed Federal Agents."

Suddenly, the room grew quiet, and she looked around them, and was surprised to see so many shocked faces.

"Morgan," Hotch said. Derek backed off immediately.

"My partner is right," Hotch said to the man who was now picking himself up off the floor, "I know for a fact that there are people in this room looking for the slightest provocation to start a firefight. Don't," Hotch said. "If you can't afford to lose your money, you shouldn't be here in the first place."

The now red-faced idiot was mumbling to himself, and was only seconds away, when a couple of bouncers showed up and escorted him from the premises.

"Well said Agents," a man said walking up to them. She looked at the man, who looked at Spencer and said, "Any particular reason you chose the table you did tonight, young man?"

Spence smiled and said, "The dealer and the man just escorted out were working together to swindle your customers. I noticed it as I made my way to the table… I usually try to avoid playing as strongly as I did tonight. Every time he'd deal cards, he'd show his partner the next card on the pile."

"So you decided to even the odds," the man said softly. "Why did you pay the bank?"

"Because," Spence said sheepishly, "I don't want to be blacklisted."

The man looked at him and sighed. "We owe you, Agent. You're welcome here anytime."

Hotch sighed as they were making their way out of the casino, "what have I told you about breaking the bank?"

"Not too," Spence said softly, "I just had more motivation to do so tonight than usual."

She didn't miss his backward glance.

"And you, JJ," the man said, "I thought you were going to keep him out of trouble?"

She blushed and said, "I was having too much fun watching him that I forgot."

Hotch sighed, "At least we only occasionally have to make trips here."

"Yeah," Derek said, "I don't think I could afford to live if Pretty Boy kept busting my chops like that."

Spence made to give them more of his winnings, but Hotch said, "I'm ahead on the night, Reid, so it's no problem."

"Yeah, Pretty Boy," Derek said as he took her boyfriend's offering, "I was up too, but I do thank you for your generosity."

"How'd you do, JJ?" Hotch asked. She blushed, "I lost about twenty-thousand dollars."

"Please tell me you were playing with Reid's money?" Hotch said softly. She nodded affirmatively, before she winced and looked at her boyfriend, her eyes pleading with him not to be angry. Spence merely grinned at her, "Did you have fun?"

She nodded.

Turning to her boyfriend, Hotch asked, "And how far are you up from where you started?"

Muttering, Spence answered, "Seven hundred and fifty-thousand after splitting my winnings."

"Dinner on Reid," Derek asked Hotch calmly. Hotch thought about it, and said, "Yeah, that'll work."

With that the duo grabbed either side of her boyfriend's arm, and led him, half-heartedly protesting, to the nearest restaurant.

**April 19, 2005: 4:00AM**

Relief filled the two of them as they slipped into Spence's large home, leaving behind the standard issue van out of place amongst the slim, newer model vehicles along the street around them. Thankfully, their night ended briefly after dinner, with Hotch and Morgan telling her that they'd called ahead and had two rooms at the closest hotel to Spence's home on hold, in case the two wanted privacy tonight.

They softly approached the master bedroom; JJ's breath sharp as Spence casually slipped the door open. Images of their vacation came to mind, and of the last time they'd been alone in this home, shortly after her then new boyfriend's breakdown over his mother's rejection.

Casually, she glanced at the safe as Spence opened it and secured their weapons and ID, before she silently slipped into the bathroom and started the shower. She stripped her clothes off and gently hung them on the towel rack outside of the door.

It wasn't a few minutes later, as she slipped into the now burning hot water that she heard the bathroom door slip open. A jolt of excitement shot through her, the thought of her boyfriend being bold enough to intrude upon a somewhat private moment filled her with anticipation.

She heard the slow fall of his zipper, and grinned as she waited for him to open the sliding door. Absently, she wondered how he should be greeted, whether he should be greeted with the site of her bent over, lathering her long legs, or with her arms upon her head, as she leaned back against the cold plastic of the shower that surrounded her.

The sound of his pants dropping to the floor caused her to grin in anticipation, waiting for the door to open. He hesitated for only a moment, and she wasn't surprised when the slight knock came to the glass door. She smiled, perfect.

"Yes," she mewled, her grin never leaving her face as she waited for her boyfriend to respond.

She'd been dropping hints, for what seems like months, that she was willing to take their relationship a step further, if he was ready. Some days he'd look at her askance, as if the very idea disturbed him. And then, there were the others, where he'd seem to hear what she said, and accept it, but never acted on the words she'd given him.

"May I join you?" her boyfriend's voice came back to her, holding a timbre that she'd only ever heard from him in situations where he was very scared, but very willing to work through.

**Las Vegas International Airport runway: 8:45AM**

They were the only two on the jet, as it sat at the end of the runway. Hotch and Morgan had both called earlier, saying that they'd be arriving together just before departure around 9:30.

And yet, the solitude and silence was just what they needed, or at least it's what she needed to bring up an uncomfortable subject that risked every bit of progress they'd made just hours before.

"Spence," she said hesitantly, "Why was this case so difficult?"

He looked at her and crossed his arms across his chest, a sure sign that he was uncomfortable, when he said, "What makes you think it was?"

"I might not be a profiler, but I know you, Spence. You've been… off… since we got here… and you in particular didn't want to take this case."

He nodded, absently acknowledging her words. "And," she said, "As amazing as last night was, and as much as I'm always going to remember it as a beautiful, wonderful night, I also want the morning remembered as a cathartic experience."

Spencer sighed and said, "Cynthia wasn't just my advisor."

She looked at him in confusion, wondering what the matronly woman had to do with anything.

"My senior year of high school, a girl named Harper Hillman came up to me with a message from Alexa Lisbon."

JJ's eyes widened at the name, and she shot him a glance.

"At the time," he said a look of grimace, "Alexa was everything that I thought I'd ever want in a girlfriend; beautiful, intelligent, and friendly to everyone… including the too mature genius that had shown her and her friends up since his arrival the year before…, and I was in the phase that I'd have done anything that she asked even if it meant that I'd be in academic trouble."

That statement told JJ tons, because other than his job, she didn't know of anything more important to Spencer Reid than academia.

"Harper said that Alexa wanted to meet me underneath the bleachers."

"And I'm guessing the bleachers at Las Vegas High School were used for everything that they're used for at most other high schools?" JJ asked.

"If you mean meetings of a carnal nature," he shrugged embarrassedly. "So, naturally, being the child of thirteen that I was, I was eager, more than really, and… I agreed almost immediately."

JJ could see that. So far the picture was not one she wanted to imagine, because even though the picture he was painting told one story, she knew differently.

"The entire time we're going there, Harper is telling me things that Alexa said she was going to do to me. I was... excited when we arrived. And, Alexa was there, standing underneath the bleachers, her jacket on the ground at her feet. And when I approached, she wrapped me in a hug, and… then she apologized."

A lurch filled JJ's stomach.

"What happened?" she asked, even though she didn't want too. Spence cringed, and said, "I asked her why she was sorry, and she just turned me around. In the few seconds since my arrival, the Varsity Cheerleaders, and Varsity Football team had arrived, and cornered us. Before I could even think to react, one of them came forward, and ripped my shirt off, and shoved me to the ground.

His friend then took his knife and cut my pants and underwear off."

JJ's eyes widened in horror…

"Did…?" she tried to ask. He shook his head, "No, they didn't rape me, JJ. I think, some times, that's why I didn't turn into the type of person that we chase. After I was naked, and after the team had laughed at my size, I was picked up by the captain of the squad and carried over to the goal post. Once I was there, the captain ordered two of his teammates to climb the ladders that they had placed there. Once they had, he handed me off, and I was tied, arms spread, to the posts."

"Crucifixion," JJ said softly. He nodded, "In a symbolic sense, yes…. The only difference was that I didn't have any wounds except for the burns that the ropes were giving me, and the emotional scars that I carried after that night. Once they were finished, they stood back and laughed, for what seemed like hours, until one by one they grew bored with watching, ridiculing, me. Then, they left.

The entire time, I'm watching Alexa, pleading with my eyes that she helps me down from there. I even begged her to help, to tell them that it wasn't right, but then her boyfriend, the Varsity Captain, walked up and placed his arms around her, and looked at me. 'This is what happens to little boys that don't show respect to their betters'.

I hung there for hours after they left, crying and pleading for someone to help me. It was ninety degrees that day, I remember because by the end of the second hour I was totally sunburned, and my back had the beginnings of first-degree burns.

I thought I was going to die. Then, night fell, and I started getting stung by bees, and bitten by mosquitoes, and that felt like acid on my already burnt skin. It wasn't until later that I was found. Cynthia was coming back to the school, she'd forgotten some important papers that she needed to return the next day, but had gone on a date with her husband the evening before. When she arrived at the school, I heard her car door slam, and her lights shut off, so I scream. I yelled, I begged and pleaded. I," he hesitated, "I even told them that I was naked and alone. It could have been anyone JJ!"

She nodded, having seen the types of UNSUB's they had, she knew that her boyfriend had been extremely lucky.

She turned her lights back on, and I thought that she hadn't heard me, until the car started coming towards the field. I was at the opposite end, so as she drove up, I started yelling… started screaming for help.

When she saw me, she gasped and pulled out her cell phone. I panicked," he said softly, "I'd already been laughed at, I didn't want to be ridiculed even more, so I begged her to just cut me down. She sighed and apologized, before she dialed. Within fifteen minutes, a police car had arrived.

It was her husband. He took one look at me, took another at Cynthia, and went to the back of his cruiser, pulled out a knife, and started cutting me down. Cynthia caught me."

As soon as I touched her, I screamed, and I remember begging, pleading to be taken home."

JJ was sick to her stomach, barely resisting the urge to vomit, as she pictured the scene in her head. Absently, she wondered what the statue of limitations was on torture and sexual abuse of a child was, and whether or not she could have the pleasure of arresting the bitch that hurt her boyfriend… when she remembered something. "Why on earth would you willingly talk to her, Spencer?"

He winced. "The case was more important than bad memories, JJ."

_Of course he would think that_, JJ thought sardonically.

"I later found out that I was released around nine that night. They took me by the hospital, and Doctor's covered me with Aloe Vera, and other creams to reduce the burn. I was then poked, prodded, and tested for everything they could think. Nathaniel, Cynthia's husband, came in after the doctors were finished, and asked me the names of everyone that had taken part in what happened. I hesitated for a moment, because I knew that if I said anything, I'd probably be killed the next time, but Cynthia promised me that she was going to take me too and from school each day until I graduated. So," he sighed, "I did. I told him every name I could remember. I gave him descriptions, and details he hadn't even thought to ask for yet.

The next day, police came by the school, and arrested every student that was responsible for my attack. Some, like Alexa, were let of lightly because her father was a high-priced lawyer. Others weren't so lucky, and for the next five months, I was afraid to walk the halls alone because I knew that I was going to be killed, if I was ever cornered."

"And they let someone like that work near children?"

"Like I said, Alexa was never prosecuted, her father said that she was influenced by her boyfriend, that she claimed to have been threatened with worse if she didn't go along with what they wanted, and that she truly regretted what happened. But," he shuddered, "By then, the damage was done and I've had an acute fear of women ever sense."

"Then why?" she asked him softly.

"I don't know," he said honestly, cupping her cheek, "But, as soon as I saw you, I knew you were different. You're closer to my age than any other woman I've ever known, and… I don't know… there was something about you Jen… something that made me trust you. It was as if some magnetic force drew you into my orbit, and refused to let you go. That's one reason I spoke up for you when I did."

"Thank you for sharing this with me, Spence."

"Anything for you, Jen," he said softly.

"_People need revelation, and then they need resolution – Damian Lewis."_


End file.
